Startup Company Profile
Airmid Inc.
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600 Castle Hill Road |
Employees: 1 |
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Faculty Inventors:
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AIRMID was founded on January 2, 2000 as a drug discovery company that uses its proprietary position in the study of ion channels to develop therapeutic ion channel modulators. The scientific founders of Airmid combine knowledge in electrophysiology, immunology, medicinal and protein chemistry with an understanding of the pathophysiology of autoimmune disorders. Over the past two decades, Airmid founders have made a series of discoveries that have led to a strategy of selective blockade of voltage-gated Kv1.3 channel in the cell surface of lymphocytes as a new target for the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis and other T-cell-mediated autoimmune diseases, including Rheumatoid Arthritis, Juvenile (Type 1) Diabetes, and Psoriasis.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system that affects young adults between 20 and 40 years of age. In MS, a class of white blood cells called T lymphocytes mistakenly unleashes an inflammatory attack on the myelin sheath that covers nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. The founders of Airmid have discovered that the activity of the disease-causing T cells can be selectively shut down by a powerful sea anemone peptide that blocks the Kv1.3 channel protein in the surface of these cells. The sea anemone peptide is found in extracts of the Caribbean Sea Anemone Stichodactylus helianthus and is hence called ShK. In proof-of-concept studies, the Airmid founders have shown that ShK can prevent and treat an animal model for MS. Airmid has selected an analog of ShK (ShK-192) as a drug development candidate and commenced preclinical development. The Airmid founders have also developed methodologies for synthesizing large quantities of ShK-192 under GMP-conditions. Airmid's founders have also discovered a potent, selective orally active Kv1.3 blocker, PAP-1. Preclinical drug development of PAP-1 has been initiated.
