About us

Lys Therapeutics, first-in-class biotherapies against neurological diseases

Science

A breakthrough strategy to reverse blood-brain barrier dysfunction

LYS241 monoclonal antibody: counteracts neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative processes involved in the pathophysiology of neurological diseases by restoring the physiological integrity of the blood-brain barrier.

Cytoprotection approach: counteracting neuroinflammation to tackle neurodegeneration

In the pathophysiology of several neurological diseases, hyperactivation of endothelial NMDA receptors by increased expression of endogenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) leads to tight junction phosphorylation and degradation, and ultimately blood-brain barrier dysfunction. This allows transmigration of inflammatory cells and toxic molecules into the brain parenchyma as well as activation of microglia, resulting in severe neuroinflammation, a primary cause of neuronal cell death and disease progression.

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A unique mechanism of action: a CNS drug which does not need to cross the blood-brain barrier

Lys Therapeutics’ main drug-candidate, LYS241, is a first-in-class monoclonal antibody displaying a groundbreaking mechanism of action counteracting these mechanisms by specifically preventing inside blood vessels the binding of tPA on NMDA receptors, without blocking the physiological function of NMDAr.

By inhibiting this interaction, NMDAr can operate normally, haltering downstream deleterious cellular pathways. Tight junctions are reestablished, endothelial cells return to their healthy state and the blood-brain barrier function is restored, protecting the brain from further neuroinflammatory and subsequent neurodegenerative cascades.

Scientific foundations & publications:

Pipeline in a drug

The ‘Glunozumab Program’: lead generation & optimization (LYS241)

a) Humanization and maturation: optimizing our mouse monoclonal antibody, glunomab, by creating a library of humanized and enhanced variants.

b) Lead clone selection: identification of the most potent variant, LYS241 — a full-length, Fc-silent IgG1 monoclonal antibody (drug substance).

c) Drug Product development: two formulations planned, an intravenous formulation for acute/single use and a subcutaneous formulation for chronic/repeated administration.

Meet our team

Dr. Manuel Blanc, PhD, MBA

Co-founder, Chief Executive Officer and President

Board member

Philippe Dujardin

Co-founder, Chief Financial & Development Officer

Board member

Pr. Denis Vivien, PhD, PU-PH

Chief Scientific Officer, President of the Scientific Advisory Board

Anne-Cecile Appourchaux, MSc

Engineer, R&D

Dr. Caroline Ballet, PhD

Program Manager, Clinical & Non-Clinical Operations

Dr. Jean-Baptiste Bertrand, PhD

Head of Clinical & Non-Clinical Operations

Dr. Nathalie Delétage, PhD

Senior Program Manager, Preclinical & Non-Clinical R&D

Jessy Dorange, MSc

Technician, R&D

Dr. François Fossiez, PhD

Head of CMC

Dr. Jordan Guyon, PharmD, MBA

Chief Operating Officer

Werner Klinger

Head of IT and data protection

Dr. Flavie Lesept, PhD

Program Manager, Preclinical R&D

Dr. Fanny Potzeha, PhD

Project Manager, Preclinical R&D

Ambre Vivet-Gros

Accounting/HR assistant

Board of Directors

Michel Vounatsos, MBA

Chairman of the Board, independant member

Anat Naschitz, LLB, MBA

Member of the Board

Philippe Bissay, MBA

Member of the Board, HAC Future representative

Dr. Shibeshih Belachew, MD, PhD

Member of the Board

Scientific Advisory Board

Neurovascular diseases

President of the SAB: Pr. Denis Vivien (PhD, PU-PH), France, co-inventor of glunomab & expert of tPA, head of the Research Institute “Blood and Brain @ Caen-Normandy”

Pr. Diederik Dippel (MD, PhD), the Netherlands, neurologist, co-director of Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam

Pr. Joan Montaner (MD, PhD), Spain, neurologist, head of Neurovascular Research at the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute

Pr. Richard Macrez (MD, PhD), France, co-inventor of Glunomab, Professor and emergency physician, head of the Emergency Unit at Caen-Normandy Hospital

Dr. Désiré Collen (MD, PhD), Belgium, inventor of rtPA (alteplase) still the most effective drug for thrombolytic therapy of acute myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke

Pr. Yannick Béjot (MD, PhD), France, neurologist, head of Neurology at Dijon-Bourgogne hospital

Via BB@C Institute: Pr. Eng Lo (MD, PhD), USA, neurologist, Professor of Neurology and Radiology, Harvard Medical School, and Research Staff, Massachusetts General Hospital

Via BB@C Institute: Pr. Martin Dichgans (MD, PhD), Germany, neurologist, Director of the Institute of Stroke and Dementia Research (Medical Center of the University of Munich), head of the World Stroke Organization

Scientific Advisory Board

Neurodegenerative disorders

Pr. Werner Poewe (MD), Austria, Director of the Department of Neurology at Innsbruck Medical University in Innsbruck. Main research interests in the field of Parkinson’s disease and movement disorders. Professor Listed among top 1% of ‚highly cited researchers‘ in neuroscience.

Pr. Olivier Rascol (MD, PhD), Professor of Clinical Pharmacology at the University Hospital in Toulouse, France and Chair of the Movement Disorder Society-European Section (MDS-ES). Member of the editorial board of Lancet Neurology, Neurology and the European Journal of Neurology.

Pr. Pierre-Olivier Couraud (PhD), France, Head of the Institut Cochin (INSERM, CNRS, University of Paris, France), Chairman of the INSERM Scientific Advisory Board and Vice President of the French multiple sclerosis foundation ARSEP.