Our Approach
Neurological Diseases Represent a Growing Global Crisis
There are limited therapeutic options for patients with critical diseases of the central nervous system such as Traumatic brain injury and Alzheimer’s disease. One of the major reasons is because drug delivery to the CNS region is challenging.
We’re on a mission to change that.
AivoCode’s Targeting Technology has Broad Application for Neurological and Ophthalmic conditions
We have identified molecular “zip codes” by employing in vivo phage display in animal models of brain diseases. This screening strategy has provided us with a panel of homing peptides that can target a payload (drug or gene therapy vector) to any specific tissue and cell type in the affected regions of the brain, to make treatments much more effective by treating diseases at their source and eliminating side effects due to impacts on other tissues or cells.
We are utilizing these peptides for payload delivery of therapeutics as well as for developing novel therapeutic drug candidates.
Our Technology
Traumatic Brain Injury
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) impacts over 2.5 million people annually in the US. AivoCode has licensed technology from Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP) to improve delivery of therapeutic or an imaging payload from systemic circulation to the injured part of the brain.
AivoCode is utilizing this technology to develop a novel neuroprotective drug for treatment of traumatic brain injury.
Neurodegenerative Diseases
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common progressive neurodegenerative disorder associated with aging. Limited success of recent clinical trials of various AD treatments may be attributable to treating the disease too late.
AivoCode is developing specific probes that recognize AD signature present in the brain. These probes can be used for therapeutic delivery and non-invasive detection of early AD. In addition to the targeting probes, AivoCode is also developing a novel therapeutic for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
Age-related macular degeneration
The eye can serve as the window into the brain. Despite its peripheral location, the retina or neural portion of the eye, is part of the central nervous system. The unique environment of the brain and retina is tightly regulated by blood–brain barrier and the blood-retinal barrier, respectively.
AMD, or age-related macular degeneration, is a leading cause of vision loss for Americans age 50 and older. It affects central vision, where sharpest vision occurs, causing difficulty conducting daily tasks such as driving, reading, and recognizing faces.
AivoCode is developing a first-in-class therapeutic to inhibit subretinal fibrosis, a known and unaddressed complication in patients with wet (neovascular) AMD.