HEADLINE: Neuro Amp will treat Alzheimer’s symptoms while search for cure continues

By Ben Kuo

MILWAUKEE -- Alzheimer’s, a dreadful neurodegenerative disease characterized by memory loss and cognitive impairments, is becoming more widespread among the elderly. And while the search for a cure is accelerating, many people suffer from symptoms that could be treated while science hunts for answers.

Dr. Brian Curry, founder of Neuro Amp and president and CEO of PhysioGenix, believes his team of scientists is making progress toward easing Alzheimer’s symptoms – and he’s hopeful for a cure in the not-so-distant future.

PhysioGenix provides research services for pharmaceutical companies and has not been directly involved in drug development. Neuro Amp was founded in hopes of being active in the drug development pipeline with a goal of generating higher returns for investors.

Neuro Amp has been able to leverage its parent company PhysioGenix’s business strategies and established networks. By outsourcing the neuroscience research to renowned research universities, Neuro Amp is able to take advantage of cutting-edge technology and world-class scientists.

Neuro Amp has been able to remain competitive in this emerging market by taking several strategic approaches.

First, its goal is to help alleviate memory loss, a symptom associated with Alzheimer’s, rather than targeting the cause of the disease. While treating the cause is an ultimate goal, it’s a much riskier business endeavor because much less is known about the cause and higher investment levels are required.

Second, the company has followed an alternative approach to easing memory loss. Imagine three chemical compounds – A, B and C.

Think of memory loss as resulting from Compound C disrupting our neurons (brain cells) from proper communication with each other – much like an unknown object blocking your view of your friend from across the street. Treating the symptom would be to remove the object whereas treating the cause would be to identify the source producing the object and curing it. An established neuroscience expert has speculated that the object has a high affinity to Compound A. As a result, many scientists are trying to create Compound A. Meanwhile, Neuro Amp has focused its attention on Compound B, which they believe has shown itself as effective in removing the obstacle.

Because few companies have pursued Compound B, Neuro Amp has a competitive advantage in this market. And it may turn out that a combination of compounds A and B are best as removing Compound C.

Neuro Amp has licensed several key compounds through the WiSys Technology Foundation. The licenses, which cost about $200,000, give Neuro Amp sole ownership of the key compounds that have been shown with promising results in reducing memory loss by as much as 30 percent.

The drug development process is an extremely long commitment with high investment needs and low rates of success. Typically there are four key milestones that could span 10 years before the drug ends up in CVS and Walgreens. The success rate and investor returns increase dramatically after reaching these key milestones as they are indicators of drug effectiveness and safety.

Neuro Amp has reached the first milestone and is seeking $1 to $3 million to reach the second milestone. Neuro Amp’s goal is to reach the third milestone within two to three years. By clearing the third milestone, the drug’s success rate would increase from 2 percent to 7 percent. Though that figure may seem gloomy for many, the reality is that pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer and Abbott have to absorb countless failures before a single breakthrough.

Once the third milestone is reached, Neuro Amp intends to sell the product and the license to the major pharmaceutical companies. The pharmaceutical giants have the resources to proceed with further clinical trials and FDA approval. Once a drug has reached the fourth milestone, it has three remaining stages with success rate increasing from 20 percent to 60 percent and finally to 95 percent.

In this week’s Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium, Neuro Amp will seek funding from investors as they take another step forward in alleviating Alzheimer’s memory loss symptom.

Kuo is a student in the UW-Madison Department of Life Sciences Communication.

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