Brane Discovery launched as spin-out from Nikem Research
Brane Discovery, an Italian speciality pharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel CNS therapies, has been created through a spin-out of proprietary r&d programmes from NiKem Research.
Brane Discovery, an Italian speciality pharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel CNS therapies, has been created through a spin-out of proprietary r&d programmes from NiKem Research.
The new company is now a fully independent speciality pharmaceutical company with a portfolio of products addressing neuropathic pain, Parkinson's disease and other CNS disorders.
Brane will receive all material and immaterial assets with regard to r&d from NiKem, including a dozen nce patents. Initial funding comes from NiKem, public grants and previous milestone payments on successful collaborations. The company has secure funding for all major projects through to early 2008, and will launch a Series A financing round in mid 2007.
The spin out of Brane leaves NiKem as a fully independent service provider with no proprietary r&d programmes, which were formerly perceived as a potential conflict of interest by some of NiKem's clients.
Brane will be led by a new management team, mostly recruited for the purpose. Dr Carlo Farina, former ceo of NiKem, becomes ceo of Brane. Dr Ruggero Fariello joins Brane as chief scientific & medical officer and brings with him two expert preclinical and clinical directors. Brane will have a full time staff of eight.
'We are delighted to be making such a well appointed start as a new company. We have funding through to early 2008 and a mature portfolio of preclinical assets, supported by lean but highly-experienced management and scientific teams,' said Dr Farina.
'Brane's two lead products are potential blockbusters. Both have substantial and robust IP protection, established preclinical proof-of-concept and are poised to enter the clinic by early 2008,' added Dr Fariello.
Brane's portfolio consists of two lead products that have completed preclinical proof of concept. BND-001 is a nce developed for Parkinson's disease while BND-003 is a pyrrolidinone derivative for neuropathic pain. Brane plans to take these two products up to clinical proof of concept (Phase IIa), before looking for licensing partners.
In addition, Brane has a programme developing v-ATPase inhibitors (BND-002), addressing cancer and other indications, for which it is now seeking licensing or co-development partners. As well as these three relatively advanced programmes, Brane has a fully operational discovery programme with a number of CNS exploratory projects undergoing early validation.