WYSS-CENTER/GLIAPHARM
24.2.2022 10:02:07 CET | Business Wire | Press release
GliaPharm SA, a biotech company that specializes in the research and development of novel therapies to treat and prevent neurological diseases, and the Wyss Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to accelerating discoveries in neuroscience to improve patient lives, today announced a collaboration to develop new treatments for Alzheimer's disease.
One of the hallmarks of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s is reduced glucose uptake by the brain, known as hypometabolism. This metabolic decline occurs before symptoms appear and persists as the disease progresses. There are currently no specific drugs to address this problem.
GliaPharm’s innovative therapeutic approach targets glial cells, the ‘support cells’ of neurons, to increase glucose uptake in the brain and enhance brain energy metabolism in pathological conditions. The company is currently tackling hypometabolism in an ‘orphan’ neurological disease named Glucose Transporter 1-Deficiency Syndrome (GLUT1-DS). This rare disease is characterized by a reduced entry of glucose into the brain that leads to severe symptoms in children and adults.
“The collaboration with the Wyss Center will allow us to accelerate our drug development towards other neurological indications that are linked to brain metabolism dysfunction, such as Alzheimer's disease.” said Prof. Pierre Magistretti, GliaPharm’s scientific founder.
“A particularly exciting element of this collaboration will be to investigate the molecular and cellular effects of GliaPharm’s lead candidate molecules using the state-of-the art brain imaging techniques possessed by the Wyss Center.” said Dr Richie Kohman , Chief Scientific Officer at the Wyss Center.
GliaPharm will test the impact of its lead candidates in preclinical models of Alzheimer’s disease to advance the compounds towards clinical stage. The team will also use the Wyss Center’s advanced imaging pipeline to analyze large volumes of brain tissue at high resolution. Comparison of treated and untreated brains at a cellular level will enable the team to identify clinically relevant biomarkers that could pave the way towards the development of molecules for clinical trials.
ENDS
About GliaPharm
GliaPharm is a Swiss biotech company that develops innovative approaches to treat neurological and psychiatric disorders. GliaPharm was created in 2016 as a spinoff company of the laboratory of Prof. Pierre Magistretti at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL, Switzerland), a leading research laboratory in the field of brain metabolism and glial cell biology. In 2017, GliaPharm established its laboratory at the Campus Biotech in Geneva, Switzerland. Through its in-house R&D laboratory and network with selected partners, GliaPharm provides the necessary platform to develop clinical applications arising from the know-how and fundamental discoveries accumulated throughout three decades of research in the academic setting.
About the Wyss Center for Bio and Neuroengineering, Geneva, Switzerland
The Wyss Center is an independent, non-profit research and development organization that advances our understanding of the brain to realize therapies and improve lives.
The Wyss Center staff, together with the Center’s academic, clinical and industrial collaborators, pursue innovations and new approaches in neurobiology, neuroimaging and neurotechnology.
Wyss Center advances reveal unique insights into the mechanisms underlying the dynamics of the brain and the treatment of disease to accelerate the development of devices and therapies for unmet medical needs.
The Wyss Center was established by a generous donation from the Swiss entrepreneur and philanthropist Hansjörg Wyss in 2014. Additional resources from funding agencies and other sources help the Wyss Center accelerate its mission.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220224005047/en/
Link:
Social Media:
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Dubai’s Medcare Hospital Becomes the World’s First to Treat an Adult Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Patient Outside the US28.4.2026 15:57:00 CEST | Press release
Medcare Royal Speciality Hospital (MRSH) in Dubai has become the world’s first hospital outside the USA, to offer a newly licensed intrathecal gene therapy - Itvisma, to adult patients with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). This one-time treatment was recently administered to a 22-year-old Egyptian patient, who was diagnosed at 18 months and confined to a wheelchair for most of his life. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260428038416/en/ Dr. Vivek Mundada with Medcare multidisciplinary medical team (Photo: AETOSWire) Last year, Medcare also became the first healthcare provider globally to administer the newly licensed Itvisma to a four-year-old international SMA patient. SMA is a rare neuromuscular disease that leads to progressive muscle weakness and loss of mobility, impacting movement, breathing, and swallowing. Until now, advancements in gene therapy for SMA were primarily restricted to children under the age o
Perpetual Atomics and QSA Global Fuel the World’s First Americium-Powered Radioisotope Heater Unit Core28.4.2026 15:48:00 CEST | Press release
In a landmark achievement for international space exploration, Perpetual Atomics, QSA Global, Inc. and the University of Leicester have completed the first historical production of an Americium-fuelled Radioisotope Heater Unit (RHU) full scale core containing ceramic form americium-241 pellets in a metal containment structure. This breakthrough builds on the successful americium pelleting work in late 2025 and on two decades of experience in leading the development of americium space nuclear power systems by the Leicester team. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260428027123/en/ QSA Global and Perpetual Atomics Team Born out of ENDURE, a European Space Agency (ESA) project, and part of a transatlantic collaboration, this achievement provides the steppingstones for an industrial pathway to deliver radioisotope power systems for spacecraft enabling these to survive and thrive in the most extreme environments in the
Alipay Launches AI Payment Processing Product to Help Businesses and OPCs Thrive in the Agentic Economy28.4.2026 15:47:00 CEST | Press release
New solution enables businesses to monetize services through AI agents Alipay today launched a new AI payment processing product that enables businesses, large and small, including One Person Companies (OPCs) in the Chinese mainland, to receive payments seamlessly when autonomous AI agents, including OpenClaw-type agents, purchase their services. This new product is being launched as AI agents are increasingly executing tasks on behalf of users, from booking travel and comparing prices, to allocating computing power and buying tokens. The product is available on Alipay’s website (https://aipay.alipay.com/). With Alipay’s AI payment processing product, small and medium-sized businesses do not need to build complex payment or settlement systems. By simply onboarding their monetizable services, businesses can reach more customers and receive payment each time an AI agent purchases their service. Bocha, an AI-powered search tool offering web search support for AI applications including Dee
HTEC Research: Only One in Three Healthcare Organizations is Ready to Scale AI28.4.2026 15:22:00 CEST | Press release
Healthcare and life sciences leaders are advancing AI with caution—fragmentation, capability gaps, and execution challenges are slowing enterprise-wide impact AI is already embedded across healthcare and life sciences. Most organizations are deploying it, and confidence in its potential is high. Yet for many, the real challenge is only just beginning. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260428872907/en/ HTEC, a global AI‑first provider of software and hardware design and engineering services, today released new research based on a global survey of 253 C-level HLS executives across the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. AI is already embedded across healthcare and life sciences. Most organizations are deploying AI, and confidence in its potential is high. Yet for many, the real challenge is only just beginning. HTEC, a global AI‑first provider of software and hardware design a
JPMorganChase Named First-Ever Global Banking Partner of the Olympic Games28.4.2026 15:00:00 CEST | Press release
International Olympic Committee and JPMorganChase Announce Landmark Global Olympic Partnership The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and JPMorganChase today announced a landmark Worldwide Olympic Partnership, making JPMorganChase the first Global Banking Partner in Olympic history. The partnership includes the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games (LA28 Games) and the French Alps 2030 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The firm has also reached an agreement with LA28 to become the Official Bank of Team USA and LA28, and a Founding Partner of the LA28 Games. The partnership reflects a shared commitment to ambition and excellence, and places athletes and communities at its core. Kirsty Coventry, President of the IOC, commented: “JPMorganChase is the first Global Partner from the banking sector in Olympic history, and we are proud to welcome them to the Worldwide Olympic Partner programme. This partnership reflects our shared values of ambition, excellence and will support t
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom