The NLC Health Impact Fund

With over 50 million people living with Alzheimer's and numbers expected to triple by 2050, there's an urgent need for effective treatments. Alzheimer's is a leading cause of death and imposes a global economic burden of $1 trillion annually. Our novel DYRK1A inhibitor aims to slow or even reverse Alzheimer's progression by targeting key pathways with high specificity and effective blood-brain barrier penetration. This innovative small molecule offers superior disease-modifying potential, addressing current treatment limitations and providing new hope for patients and healthcare systems worldwide.

The challenge with lung cancer lies in its late detection, often leading to unfortunate outcomes. Current screening methods like low-dose CT scans are costly and have radiation risks, while blood tests lack accuracy or are too expensive. Our solution offers a non-invasive blood test that detects lung cancer early with high sensitivity and specificity. This test, with its multi-protein panel, can identify even stage I cancer, improving survival rates and reducing unnecessary procedures.

Scinvivo introduces a solution for bladder cancer diagnosis with its imaging catheter, providing real-time, cross-sectional tissue images. Traditional methods often lead to unnecessary surgeries and missed tumors. By utilizing Optical Coherence Tomography technology, Scinvivo's catheter offers high-resolution imaging, enabling urologists to accurately diagnose bladder conditions. This approach reduces unnecessary surgeries but also enhances diagnostic accuracy, improving patient outcomes.

XtRNA Bio is developing a pioneering gene therapy to treat Charcot Marie Tooth (CMT) disease type 2D, leveraging tRNA supplementation therapies. Their patented treatment targets mutations in tRNA synthetases, offering a new therapeutic modality with vast potential for various diseases. They are raising €5M to develop a clinical candidate for CMT2D and expand their pipeline. CMT, a hereditary and heterogeneous disease, affects 1 in 2500 people worldwide, causing progressive muscle wasting, loss of sensation, and chronic pain, with no current cure.

Epilepsy causes uncontrolled seizures, greatly reducing quality of life and sometimes leading to early death. Over 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, but only two-thirds respond to medication. For those with drug-resistant epilepsy, treatment options are limited and often ineffective. MIR Therapeutics is developing a new gene therapy to provide lasting and powerful seizure control for drug-resistant epilepsy patients. Their therapy delivers microRNA-335 to the affected brain regions using an AAV9 viral vector, which helps control hyperexcitability by regulating voltage-gated sodium channels. This results in fewer and less severe seizures.

Amotio addresses the challenge of revision surgeries for hip, knee, and shoulder implants with their innovative approach. Collaborating with expert revision surgeons and guided by NLC, they offer a patented solution for improved implant revision surgery. By developing unique bone cement removal devices and integrating advanced patient-specific 3D surgical planning and printing technology, Amotio aims to set a new standard for excellence in these surgeries. Their goal is to reduce complexity, trauma, and recovery time while cutting costs for healthcare providers.

Neurolieve Biosciences is developing NLV-01, a first-in-class, non-opioid treatment for peripheral neuropathy, addressing a market with over 500 million patients globally. Their GalR2 agonist delivers dual action that no current therapy offers: potent pain relief and nerve regeneration. Critically, NLV-01 does not cross the blood-brain barrier, eliminating the CNS side effects and addiction risk that limit opioids and gabapentinoids.

Implant Preservation Devices has developed a handheld device to tackle a common problem after joint replacement surgeries prosthetic joint infections (PJI). This device applies heat to implants using induction, effectively targeting and eliminating bacteria that cause these infections. By reducing the risk of recurrent infections, it offers a quick, sterile, and convenient treatment option during surgery, potentially benefiting patients beyond just those undergoing joint replacements.