Amylyx Nabs $5M to Take Aim at Nerve Cell Death in ALS Patients
Summary
One Cambridge, MA-based drug developer, Amylyx Pharmaceuticals, has received a $5 million Series A financing to take its nerve cell-targeting treatment, AMX0035, into a Phase 2 trial for ALS patients.With the two drugs combined into one, the company believes it can possibly block nerve cell death and neurotoxic inflammation, two potential causes of ALS.Amylyx believes its combination drug can provide the equivalent of stress relief in nerve cells, helping them stabilize their energy production and their ability to weed out misproduced proteins.Many eventually die in their sleep after the muscles that help them breathe stop functioning—if they haven’t opted for a ventilator or other respiratory aid.Isaac Chang from Morningside, a private equity group founded in 1986 by a family in Hong Kong, is joining the company’s board, as is Felix von Coerper of the ALS Investment Fund.