02.04.19
CavoGene LifeSciences announced the appointment of Scott J. Fisher, PhD as chief executive officer.
Cavogene has licensed a novel investigational gene therapy for patients with neurodegenerative diseases, such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer's disease (AD), traumatic brain and spinal cord injury, and age-related cognitive decline. Currently, there is a large unmet medical need for these life-threatening conditions.
Dr. Fisher is a regenerative medicine expert who has previously led drug development and gene therapy clinical research of multiple regenerative therapies at early stage companies. CavoGene will be headquartered at the Global Center for Heath Innovation in Cleveland, Ohio.
Cavogene has licensed a novel investigational gene therapy for patients with neurodegenerative diseases, such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer's disease (AD), traumatic brain and spinal cord injury, and age-related cognitive decline. Currently, there is a large unmet medical need for these life-threatening conditions.
The licensed rights for SynCav1 come from the University California San Diego (UC San Diego) and the laboratory of Brian P. Head, PhD. SynCav1 is a novel gene therapy intervention that restores and augments pro-growth signaling, axonal and dendritic growth, and formation of new functional synapses in animal models. That data demonstrate that SynCav1 improves motor function, maintains body weight and extends survival in ALS rodent models, increases structural and functional neuroplasticity, and improves learning and memory in aged mice and in an AD mouse model.
"The exciting opportunity with SynCav1 is not only that it is a novel, gene therapy approach to neurodegenerative disorders, but that we have observed rescue and regrowth of neurons," said Dr. Fisher. "Caveolin restoration and overexpression enhances neuroregeneration, innervation and synaptic neuroplasticity. I am eager to work with Jim Sergi, Dr. Head, our advisors and the great team at CSSi, to champion this therapy and bring SynCav1 to patients."