NLSInvest: What’s in it for Nordic Life Science companies?

You are developing a new class of compounds targeting multiple neurological diseases. What’s the scientific rationale behind your approach?
– 2N Pharma is based on more than a decade of research at Aalborg University led by our co-founder and CSO, John Nieland. Central to our approach is that neurodegenerative diseases should be seen as multidimensional systemic disorders with neurometabolic imbalance as a key disease driver. A healthy brain is the most metabolically active organ in the body and relies on glucose for energy production. However, a common feature of ALS, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and a range of other indications, is strongly upregulated lipid metabolism and deficient glucose metabolism, in other words, the diseased brain has shifted to fat burning to create energy. When lipid dysregulation persists over a long period of time, it promotes the pathogenesis of neurodegeneration through a number of mechanisms including oxidative stress, inflammation, aggregation of misfolded protein and demyelination. With our novel small molecule drug candidate, we target the mitochondrial metabolic dysfunction to reestablish energy homeostasis. We have shown that has a profoundly positive impact on disease progression and survival in animals and expect a similar effect in humans.

How do you feel about being selected to participate as one of the Danish rising stars at Nordic Life Science Invest?
– Taking the step from academic research to commercial development can be daunting, but we are extremely happy to have the support of the BioInnovation Institute in Copenhagen. Access to funding, know-how and facilities at BII have been instrumental in accelerating 2N Pharma’s development to the point where we feel ready for the label of “rising star”. We strongly believe we are on track to bring much improved treatment options to patients with ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Nordic Life Science Invest and Nordic Life Science Days will attract delegates from all over the world including investors and big companies looking for novel ideas and seeking collaborations. What do you hope to achieve by participating in these meetings?
– Finding business partners, whether it is financial investors or development collaborators, can be a long process that often require ongoing engagement over a period of time before an agreement can be reached. We also find it extremely important to identify partners that share our vision of a world where we can treat the currently untreatable, partners that are willing to commit to the journey and who are not looking for an exit at the first opportunity. That requires broad engagement with a wide range of potential partners before the perfect match is found. We see NLS as the ideal forum for this, as it attracts international participants with specific interest in Nordic life science. We hope to continue conversations we already started and to open new doors to potential opportunities.