Internationally recognized leader in neurodegenerative diseases to advise on programs
selectively targeting the toxic oligomer
TORONTO and CAMBRIDGE, MA, June 19, 2019 /CNW/ - ProMIS Neurosciences, Inc. (TSX: PMN) (OTCQB: ARFXF), a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of antibody therapeutics targeting toxic oligomers implicated in the development of neurodegenerative diseases, welcomed Warren Olanow, MD, FRCPC, FAAN, FRCP(Hon) to its scientific advisory board (SAB). Dr. Olanow has dedicated his career to the study of neurodegeneration, particularly Parkinson's disease, through his award-winning work in academia, scientific research, clinical trials and professional societies. As a member of the SAB, Dr. Olanow will work with other distinguished members of the board to guide development of the Company's programs in Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases and ALS, all of which focus on selective targeting of the toxic oligomer of misfolded proteins, a shared root cause.
"Dr. Olanow brings to our Scientific Advisory Board deep knowledge and expertise in neurodegeneration, with special focus on movement disorders and Parkinson's disease," said Dr. Neil Cashman, Chief Scientific Officer of ProMIS Neurosciences. "We're extremely lucky to have such an accomplished, committed group of advisory board members to help guide our work toward long awaited, effective treatment for these brain wasting diseases. We welcome Dr. Olanow and look forward to working with him."
C. Warren Olanow has authored more than 300 publications primarily related to Parkinson's disease and neurodegeneration. He is the previous Henry P. and Georgette Goldschmidt Professor and Chairman of the Department of Neurology at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, and is presently Professor Emeritus in the Department of Neurology and in the Department of Neuroscience. He also serves as Chief Executive Officer of CLINTREX, a pharmaceutical advisory firm that has designed numerous clinical trials in neurodegenerative disease for the pharmaceutical industry. He is the Past President of the Movement Disorder Society, Past President of the International Society of Motor Disturbances, and Past Treasurer of the American Neurological Association. He is an honorary professor at University College London (Royal Free Hospital), an honorary member of the French Neurological Society, and an honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in the United Kingdom. He is the recipient of the 2013 research award in movement disorders of the American Academy of Neurology, the Presidential Award of the Movement Disorder Society, the Lifetime Achievement award of the International Parkinson Disease and Movement Disorder Society and is the previous editor-in-chief of the journal Movement Disorders. His research interests focus on the etiology and pathogenesis of neurodegeneration and experimental therapeutics. Dr. Olanow received his medical degree from the University of Toronto and performed his neurology training at the New York Neurological Institute at Columbia University.
Commenting on the appointment, Dr. Olanow stated: "I have focused my professional career on the study of neurodegenerative diseases, in particular movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease. I am delighted to join the SAB and look forward to advising ProMIS Neurosciences as the Company progresses its innovative approach developing antibodies selectively targeting the toxic, prion-like oligomers of the alpha synuclein protein that are a root cause of Parkinson's disease."
The ProMIS SAB brings together a multidisciplinary group of renowned specialists in neurodegenerative disease along with experts in neurotoxic, prion-like misfolded proteins. In addition to Dr. Olanow, the current members of the Company's SAB include:
- Neil R. Cashman, M.D is Chief Science Officer at ProMIS Neurosciences and Professor of Medicine at the University of British Columbia (UBC), where he holds the Canada Research Chair in Neurodegeneration and Protein Misfolding Diseases and serves as the Director of the UBC ALS Centre. Dr. Cashman is recognized as a pioneer in the field of prion-like misfolded proteins and their role in development of neurodegenerative diseases, in particular ALS and AD. Neil Cashman is co-chair of the SAB;
- Sharon Cohen, M.D is a trained behavioral neurologist and former speech language pathologist. Her memory clinic and dementia clinical trials program at the Toronto Memory Programme are the largest and most active in Canada and have contributed substantially to patient care and to global clinical trial cohorts. Through her commitment to knowledge translation and her passion for clinically meaningful outcomes, Dr. Cohen provides a valuable perspective which places the patient at the center of Alzheimer's drug development programs.
- Todd E. Golde, M.D, Ph.D is Director of the Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease at the University of Florida where he directs a robust program of scientific discovery aimed at translating basic discoveries in neurodegenerative disease into diagnostics and treatments for patients. Dr. Golde is co-chair of the SAB;
- William C. Mobley, M.D, Ph.D is Associate Dean for Neurosciences Initiatives, Distinguished Professor of Neurosciences, Florence Riford Chair for Alzheimer Disease at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), and the university's Executive Director of the Down Syndrome Center for Research and Treatment. Dr. Mobley's research focuses on the neurobiology of neuronal dysfunction in developmental and age-related disorders of the nervous system.
- Rudolph E. Tanzi, PhD., is a neuroscientist and geneticist with scientific expertise in Alzheimer's disease and brain health. He serves as Vice-Chair of Neurology, Director of the Genetics and Aging Research Unit, and as a Director of the Henry and Allison McCance Center for Brain Health at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is also the Joseph P. and Rose F. Kennedy Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School.
- Lary C. Walker, Ph.D is Associate Professor of Neurology and Research Professor at Emory University Yerkes National Primate Research Center. Dr. Walker's research has been directed toward understanding the mechanisms by which the Alzheimer-associated proteins amyloid beta and tau form pathogenic assemblies in vivo and how these agents spread in the brain;
Neurodegenerative diseases are a result of misfolded proteins. When proteins misfold, they can aggregate, forming small clumps of toxic oligomers that kill neurons leading to disease. Using its novel drug discovery engine, ProMIS can uniquely and selectively target the toxic oligomer, filling a critical gap for drug developers: traditional approaches to developing antibodies are unable to isolate and target the toxic oligomer with adequate precision. The company's Alzheimer's disease program includes antibody candidates that offer targeting of the toxic oligomers of tau and amyloid beta, currently one of the most promising areas of therapy development in Alzheimer's disease. The Company's Parkinson's disease program includes several potential antibody therapeutic candidates aimed at selectively targeting toxic oligomers of the protein alpha synuclein, considered a root cause of Parkinson's disease. ProMIS has also identified antibody candidates that selectively target toxic oligomers of the protein TDP43, considered a root cause of ALS.
About ProMIS Neurosciences
ProMIS Neurosciences, Inc. is a development stage biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing antibody therapeutics selectively targeting toxic oligomers implicated in the development and progression of neurodegenerative diseases, in particular Alzheimer's disease (AD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Parkinson's disease (PD). The Company's proprietary target discovery platform is based on the use of two complementary thermodynamic, computational discovery engines -ProMIS and Collective Coordinates – to predict novel targets known as Disease Specific Epitopes on the molecular surface of misfolded proteins. Using this unique precision approach, the Company is developing novel antibody therapeutics for AD, ALS and PD. ProMIS is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, with offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts. ProMIS is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol PMN, and on the OTCQB Venture Market under the symbol ARFXF.
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SOURCE ProMIS Neurosciences Inc.
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