Avipero
Company Overview
8 years, 8 months ago Posted in: Avipero 0

Who we are

AVIPERO Ltd (Registered in Scotland SC353945) is a privately held start-up company established in 2009. AVIPERO is uniquely positioned in the area of integrin therapeutic as we have proprietary treatment for inducing tissue repair. This treatment was discovered by Rehab AlJamal-Naylor and David Harrison in 2002. The main diseases where preclinical efficacy has been shown are Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Parkinson’s disease and arthritis.

Our Aim

Our therapeutic target is a molecule on the surface of cells known as beta1 integrin. Beta1 integrin is a molecule that facilitates adhesion or stickiness of the cell to its surrounding. As beta1 integrin binds molecules inside and outside the cell and transmits this information within the cell, it affects a range of cellular activities from metabolism to cell death and division.

To do so, when activated, integrins undergo shape changes and exposure of sites affecting its interaction both inside and outside the cell. This affects the strength of the attachment of the cell to its surrounding. There are three main possible shapes of the receptor with ranging adhesive capacity; with the lower adhesiveness being the prevailing normal state. (Detailed review on http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18708090)

Novel Strategy

AVIPERO’s treatment agent is an antibody which affects the receptor shape and adhesiveness reverting it to its normal intermediate adhesive state. When administered in animal studies before the onset of disease, the treatment agent prevented tissue damage. More importantly, the treatment has also successfully repaired tissue damage when administered after the onset of injury.

This is a new and exciting revolutionary intervention in diseases where no effective disease-modifying treatment exists. This includes Parkinson’s disease, emphysema in COPD and arthritis (see http://precedings.nature.com/documents/437/version/1 for part of the emphysema data).

The biological mechanism of its action is generic as it entails reducing the cells’ mechanical rigidity that is associated with injury and preventing their death and allowing inherent repair to commence.

Potential Uses

Our new therapeutic could revolutionalise the treatment of these indications alone or in combination with other existing treatments. At AVIPERO, we aim to take the development of the treatment to early clinical trials in humans focusing initially on Parkinson’s disease with the view to progressing with development in emphysema and arthritis under strategic alliances with suitable pharmaceutical companies.

Cell death is hallmark of many chronic diseases such as dementias in the brain, heart attacks, asthma, cancer and skin wound healing amongst many. The future applicability of AVIPERO’s treatment could extend beyond the tested indications.