Neuralstem
BY: BILL HOLLERAN
In a November article in Newsweek, science editor Sharon Begley reported on a new development in the search for a cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. “Today, if all goes as planned,” Begley wrote, “the first ALS patient will receive an injection of stem cells into the upper part of his spine—the first step toward determining whether the experimental therapy can save ALS patients from dying when their motor neurons, which control muscles, become too weak to maintain breathing.”
The Rockville-based company behind the technology in this clinical trial is Neuralstem Inc. According to the company’s website, Neuralstem’s technology “enables the ability to produce neural stem cells of the human brain and spinal cord in commercial quantities.” These “regionally specific,” specialized cells are able to “integrate with, and protect, the patient’s spinal cord” because they are “already suited to the task.”
Since that first clinical step, an April University of Michigan Health System news release said, “The first published results from an early-stage clinical trial show that spinal cord stem cells can be delivered safely into the spines of patients with the condition commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, opening the door for further research on this innovative approach.”
What role does innovation play at Neuralstem? “Innovation is what Neuralstem is all about,” said CEO and President Richard Garr. “Normal stem cell technology pushes cells to act like spinal cord and other cells in the central nervous system. But they are not quite the real thing.”
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“This is a completely different, and better, generation of neural cell technology,” he said. “It opens a unique window on the central nervous system.” Garr says innovation is strategically important at Neuralstem because “we only treat fatal or incurable diseases.” In addition to ALS, according to the company’s website, Neuralstem is also targeting central nervous system conditions including spinal cord injury, ischemic spastic paraplegia and chronic stroke.
Another innovation made possible by Neuralstem’s technology is the discovery of what Garr calls “an entirely new class of drugs to treat depression.” According to Garr, “Because our physiologically relevant cells already have the information they need to grow up to what they are supposed to become, we can put them in a petri dish and treat them with toxins. Then drugs can be applied to see how these compounds will interact with the neurons.” Thanks to this discovery, “we are able to test thousands of compounds on these cells.”
As a business, not a lab, said Garr, “being innovative is all about discovering new therapeutic products and creating drugs that can meaningfully improve the quality of life in patients with incurable diseases.” When it comes to stimulating innovation at Neuralstem, Garr said, “We bring a start-up sense of urgency to everything we do. When you are in the business of developing products for patients who are going to die, the sense of urgency is heightened. Our job is to find cures. That’s a strong enabler of innovation.”
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Inclusion in this special section on innovative businesses for this key regional publication, positions Neuralstem as a leader in its region and a leader to be noted among biotechs. Helps raise awareness for investors and potential partners.