#63 – Mind the mitochondria: biotech takes aim at Parkinson’s & ALS
The coffee break biotech roundup, by SomX.
Hello, my cell-saving strategists!
This week’s roundup pulses with new forms of survival: a UK biotech takes aim at Parkinson’s and ALS by protecting mitochondria, Lilly trades AI access for data in a matchmaking scheme, a Swiss startup brings bioengineered skin grafts to burn patients, space scientists propose biotech as the key to Martian life support, Novo Nordisk makes brutal workforce cuts to stay in the GLP-1 game, and Ori Biotech’s manufacturing platform for life saving therapies gets the FDA’s seal of approval.
Until the next vital sign,
Dodo
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Discover 🔍
🧠 A UK biotech takes aim at Parkinson’s, ALS by drugging mitochondria (BioPharmaDive): British outfit NRG Therapeutics has bagged £50M to support plans to start clinical trials for NRG-5051 – an oral small molecule targeting the a protein complex within mitochondria – by early 2026. The drug aims to shield these cellular powerhouses from toxic proteins that trigger cell death in Parkinson's and ALS, with preclinical studies suggesting it could dampen brain inflammation. The Series B round was led by SV Health Investors' Dementia Discovery Fund.
Our take: This represents one of the most direct assaults yet on the mitochondrial permeability transition pore, a mechanism long suspected in neurodegeneration but tricky to drug. The underlying notion is delightfully simple… stop mitochondrial collapse, stop neurons dying. Both Parkinson's and ALS show early mitochondrial dysfunction before symptoms emerge so, if the inhibition works, we might have a shared therapeutic lever across distinct neurodegenerative diseases.
🤖 In first-of-its-kind setup, Lilly offers startups free access to its AI models in exchange for data (Endpoints): Eli Lilly has launched TuneLab, an intriguing initiative offering biotech startups complimentary access to its artificial intelligence models. However, participating companies must contribute some of their own precious data in return. The programme, spearheaded by TuneLab's Aliza Apple and Lilly Catalyze360's Nisha Nanda, launched this month with 18 models trained on over $1B worth of proprietary data.
Our take: An Achilles' heel for most early-stage biotechs is the lack of datasets needed for decent predictive modelling. By plugging into TuneLab, companies gain tools that would otherwise require years of painstaking data generation. Meanwhile, Lilly benefits from fresh data that broadens its models. To ease founder jitters, a federated learning approach means that companies only share model weight updates, rather than raw data, with the pharma giant. Quite the interesting setup…
🔪 CUTISS secures €57.9M Series C to advance regenerative skin therapies (Tech.eu): The cash injection – which brings the Swiss TechBio’s total haul to over €129.3M – will advance denovoSkin, a bio-engineered, personalised skin graft for burn patients across Europe. The funding process spanned nearly two years; finally gaining momentum with investment from Rode Kruis Ziekenhuis, a leading EU burn hospital. The company is now scaling production through automation and preparing to launch VitiCell for vitiligo, a skin pigmentation disorder affecting approximately 1-2% of the global population.
Our take: CUTISS is advancing both clinical readiness and manufacturing capability in parallel – no small feat! Its automated Tecan tie-up allows decentralised, personalised therapies, dodging the cost and logistics mess of autologous treatments. Promising Phase 3 data suggests a cautious step forward for tissue engineering after years of hype-cycle churn.
🚀 The key to international space cooperation is developments in biotechnology, Northeastern researchers say (Northeastern University): A new report argues biotech is essential for establishing sustainable human life beyond Earth, and tackling challenges like radiation exposure and microgravity-related health risks. Researchers spotlight closed-loop systems using engineered microbes to regenerate oxygen, produce food and recycle waste, alongside timelines as early as 2026 for an unmanned Mars launch and 2030 for a crewed mission.
Our take: “Closed-loop biomes” open fresh avenues for biofoundries and synthetic biology, which could repurpose tools built for terrestrial pharma off-planet. Zero-waste nutrient cycles, radiation-tolerant microbes and in-situ biomanufacturing could all be on the wish-list. But the regulatory scaffolding in space is thin; building shared standards and safety frameworks will be as critical as the biology.
💸 Novo Nordisk layoffs: 9,000 jobs cut as weight-loss drug competition with Eli Lilly heats up (Fast Company): The Danish pharmaceutical giant is trimming 11% of its global workforce as competition intensifies. Novo faces mounting pressure from Eli Lilly, whose Mounjaro and Zepbound have racked up impressive sales of $5.2B and $3.4B, respectively. Adding insult to injury, compounded versions of Ozempic and Wegovy continue to flood the market. The personnel cuts are projected to yield $1.25B in annual savings, following a 58% stock decline over the past year.
Our take: The fact that GLP-1 pioneer Novo is wielding the axe so aggressively suggests the weight-loss gold rush may be cooling faster than anticipated. Compounded versions have fundamentally reshaped the playing field, creating a parallel market that's proving devilishly difficult to contain, despite official shortage declarations ending. It seems branded exclusivity doesn't guarantee pricing power when there are alternatives available at a fraction of the cost.
And finally…
🏆 Ori's cell and gene platform wins key FDA advanced manufacturing designation (FiercePharma): Ori Biotech's IRO® platform has snagged the FDA’s Advanced Manufacturing Technology designation – recognition reserved for production methods that substantially improve drug manufacturing or bolster critical supplies. The fully closed system automates the labour-intensive steps that plague cell and gene therapy manufacturing, aiming to lower costs, increase throughput, and reduce batch failures – bridging the gap from R&D to GMP manufacturing.
Our take: The designation underscores regulators’ growing focus on manufacturing as the make-or-break in cell therapy success. While scientists have been busy advancing biology, industrial capacity has been limping along with cottage industry processes that don't scale. By supporting both early development and commercial-scale production, IRO® could be the difference between promising science and real patient access.
Tune in 🎧
🎙️ Private Wealth NOT Public Health: Explore the Silicon Valley vision of ‘curing death’ and monetising science, as Jim O’Neill’s CDC appointment raises eyebrows (and questions) about billionaire influence on public health.
🦠 Finding HIV’s last bastion in the body, and playing the violin like a cricket: Discover how the ‘Last Gift’ study tracks HIV’s final hiding spots after death, and enjoy violins that mimic bugs – in a joyful ode to entomology outreach.
📉 Research misconduct: how the scientific community is fighting back: From paper mills to policy-warping studies, uncover how researchers, sleuths, and institutions are tackling fraud in science, and why restoring trust is harder than you’d think.
Apply ✍️
🧫 Research Associate in Immune Cell Biology, Immunology and Microscopy, Imperial College London: Obsessed with nanoscale immunity? Use super-resolution microscopy to reveal how NK cells recognise diseased cells, mapping receptor organisation, cell contact dynamics, and immune cell detachment.
🦴 Research Associate - Regenerative Medicine, B3OA Laboratory: Fancy fixing bones with science? Lead your own programme at Paris’ premier osteoarticular lab, where you’ll blend biology, engineering and imaging to rethink skeletal repair.
🍄 Postdoctoral Position in Fungal Biotechnology and Biomass Valorization, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University: Know your Trametes from your Trichoderma? In the heart of Morocco’s sustainability hub, you’ll engineer fungi to unlock enzyme potential, valorise biomass, and explore biodiversity. .
RSVP 📆
🚨17-18.09 | The Emergency Tech Show | Birmingham, UK: Meet 8,000+ emergency service pros, explore 150+ exhibitors, and get hands-on with tech across AI, comms, drones, robotics, data and more.
🧭 18.09 | From Idea to Market – Strategic Planning for Innovation and Growth | Online: This IBIC webinar teaches you how to build a 3–5-year strategic roadmap, sidestep common planning pitfalls, and align near-term actions with long-term biotech growth.
🏭 18.09 | PharmaTech Integrates | Glasgow, UK: From AI to automation, join CPI’s Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre to explore the tech trends shaping the future of pharma manufacturing.
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