Ahead Therapeutics is developing a true revolution: a technological platform based on nanotechnology to treat and cure autoimmune diseases.
In the pre-clinical phase, we have demonstrated excellent efficacy and safety in various diseases: Multiple Sclerosis; Type 1 Diabetes; Celiac Disease; Rheumatoid Arthritis ; and some rare diseases . You probably have a family member or know someone who suffers from one of these conditions.
Autoimmune diseases cannot be cured, so today treatment is only palliative through chronic drugs that have many side effects.
Ahead Therapeutics is developing a paradigm shift: a treatment that changes the course of the disease and is potentially curative, with no side effects and low cost compared to other therapies.
An autoimmune disease occurs when our immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own tissues. Approximately 4% of the world's population is affected by autoimmune diseases, 70% of whom are women.
The economic potential derived from curing the indicated diseases is absolutely unquestionable; it is an aggregate market of “trillions” of euros.
The product (drug) is a PS-liposome that encapsulates the peptide or protein responsible for triggering the autoimmune attack. The brilliance of our approach lies in its reliance on biomimicry —that is, imitating something that occurs billions of times a day to recognize self-tissues. Specifically, the PS-liposome mimics apoptotic bodies (cells that die in an orderly fashion). When dendritic cells take up the PS-liposome, they mistake it for an apoptotic body and present the encapsulated peptide to the rest of the immune system in a tolerogenic manner. This reprograms the immune system and stops the attack and destruction of tissues. The rest of the immune system remains unaffected, unlike when treated with systemic immunosuppressants.
The mechanism of action is safe, robust, and cross-cutting. Safe, because thanks to biomimicry , no signaling pathways are affected. Robust, because the liposomes interact with all the key cells for reprogramming the immune system: T cells, B cells, macrophages, and other target cells. This results in a long-lasting effect, eliminating the need for chronic therapy. Simply put, it's like a reverse vaccination: tolerance develops during the first month with two or three doses, and a booster is then administered several months later. Cross-cutting, because it has been described in all the diseases studied.
Our technology is protected and unique ; we have a solid family of patents that have already been granted in different territories.
The business model includes two lines: a) the development of the first product with own resources and, b) the establishment of collaboration or sublicense agreements with pharmaceutical companies for the development of the other indications.
The immediate goal is to bring the first product ( leading asset ) to clinical trials to validate the technology in humans. For this, we have selected an orphan disease: Myasthenia Gravis, for several technical and strategic reasons. The success of this first project will be followed by the development of the remaining products in the pipeline: Multiple Sclerosis; Type 1 Diabetes; Celiac Disease; and Rheumatoid Arthritis.
In addition to our scientific work, we have established relationships with several major pharmaceutical companies , under confidentiality agreements with some of them. We hope to finalize an agreement within a few months.
From the beginning of the project we have paid close attention to product development (CMC): we have already signed a contract with a CDMO company (Recipharm) to manufacture our product under GMP conditions.
We have also developed and qualified all analytical methods in accordance with regulatory agencies. Furthermore, we have two projects underway to encapsulate multiple antigens: this will give us a competitive advantage, as we will be able to treat complex autoimmune diseases with a greater guarantee of success.
We have an excellent, experienced technical and scientific team with all the necessary skills to ensure the project's success. Furthermore, we have established a collaborative network with Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and leading research institutions that have validated our technology and actively contributed to generating results.
With your support, we can improve the quality of life for millions of patients suffering from autoimmune diseases, generate economic value, and a very high return for partners.
