Genetika+ platform allows assessment of the functional effects of drugs directly on human neurons and comprises more than 200 neuronal lines from depression patients with in-depth clinical and demographic characterisation
Genetika+ offers antidepressant screening platform. (Credit: Milad Fakurian on Unsplash)
Israel-based CNS-first clinical-stage company Clexio Biosciences has teamed up with Genetika+, a developer of personalised medicine for psychiatric and neurological diseases.
The partnership is aimed to screen and characterise Clexio’s antidepressant pipeline using Genetika+’s iPSC-derived neurons platform.
Genetika+ platform allows assessment of the functional effects of drugs directly on human neurons, the primary targets for antidepressants, using relevant biomarkers.
It comprises more than 200 neuronal lines from depression patients with in-depth clinical and demographic characterisation, and assessments over 12 months.
Genetika+ co-founder and CEO Talia Cohen Solal said: “The ability to obtain functional readouts, which have been studied for decades with a wealth of scientific support behind them, directly from patients suffering from CNS-related diseases, is transformative for the way we diagnose and manage these diseases.
“This has the potential to transform mental health and neurological diseases in the same way that the molecular characterization of tumours has transformed oncology.”
Genetika+ uses its patented brain-in-a-dish technology to rapidly test more than 70 approved antidepressants and drug combinations against a patient’s neurological biomarkers.
When combined with patients’ genetic and medical history, the technology can predict the optimal drug or combination therapy for each patient.
It enables rapid treatment, reduced side effects, low dosing, and eliminates trial-and-error treatment protocols and needless loss of life, said Genetika+.
Genetika+ platform not only enables a readout of the antidepressant effect of a drug candidate, but also allows for its characterisation into different depression subpopulations.
Clexio is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company dedicated to developing novel therapies for patients suffering from neurological and psychiatric conditions.
Clexio CEO and co-founder Elisabeth Kogan said: “We are looking forward to working with Genetika+ and leveraging their unique platform for valuable insights as we develop new therapeutics for Major Depressive Disorder, and to contributing to the advancement of personalized medicine for psychiatry.”