Our focus on unmet medical needs

We are committed to addressing devastating unmet medical needs for patients with nervous system disorders through our research and development.

  • Huntington’s disease is a rare, fatal progressive genetic disorder that causes uncontrolled movements and cognitive loss. 

    Most people start developing symptoms during adulthood, between the ages of 30 to 50, but HD can also occur in children and young adults (known as juvenile HD or Juvenile HD). HD is known as a family disease because every child of a parent with HD has a 50/50 chance of inheriting the faulty gene. Today, there are approximately 41,000 symptomatic Americans and more than 200,000 at-risk of inheriting the disease. There is currently no cure for Huntington's disease and no way to slow or stop the brain changes it causes.

    1. Alzheimer’s Association website, 2. Huntington’s disease society of America website

  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a rare, fatal progressive disorder. It is Characterized by rapid degeneration of motor nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, leading to muscle weakness. Early symptoms of ALS usually include muscle weakness or stiffness. Gradually all voluntary muscles are affected, and individuals lose their strength and the ability to speak, eat, move, and even breathe. Most people with ALS die from respiratory failure, usually within 3 to 5 years from when the symptoms first appear. Currently, there is no cure for ALS and no effective treatment to halt or reverse the progression of the disease.

    1. National Institute of Neurological disorders and stroke website, 2. CDC, 2015

  • Parkinson’s disease is a progressive movement disorder. Parkinson’s disease (PD) occurs when brain cells that make dopamine, a chemical that coordinates movement, stop working or die. Because PD can cause tremor, slowness, stiffness, and walking and balance problems, it is called a “movement disorder.” But constipation, depression, memory problems and other non-movement symptoms also can be part of Parkinson’s. PD is a lifelong and progressive disease, which means that symptoms slowly worsen over time. Estimates suggest that Parkinson’s affects nearly 1 million people in the United States and more than 6 million people worldwide.

    Michael J. Fox Foundation website

Neurodegenerative Diseases

Psychiatric Disorders

Depression affects about 300 million individuals worldwide. Despite current therapeutic options, nearly 50% of individuals with depression continue to suffer from uncontrolled depressive symptoms after the first antidepressant.

  • Depression affects about 300 million individuals worldwide. In the US alone,1 in 5 adults experiences depression in their lifetime, resulting in a huge societal impact and estimated annual economic burden over $320 billion. Despite current therapeutic options, nearly 50% of individuals with depression continue to suffer from uncontrolled depressive symptoms after the first antidepressant with delayed and suboptimal efficacy.

Neurodegenerative diseases are devastating because they are progressive without a cure, and often fatal. Neurodegenerative disease involves many functions simultaneously, such as thinking, eating, walking, or talking, which have tremendous impacts on patients’ and their families' lives.