With original ties to the University of Rochester and not SBIR involved in some time, Vaccinex, Inc. (NASDAQ: VCNX) is taking a differentiated approach to treating neurodegenerative disease through the inhibition of semaphorin 4D (SEMA4D), a key driver of neuroinflammation. Actively in SBIR In the years following founding of the firm-- but not recently -- the companys lead drug candidate, pepinemab, blocks SEMA4D and has potential as a disease-modifying treatment for Huntingtons, Alzheimers and other neurodegenerative diseases. Beyond neurology, Vaccinex has determined that, in combination with checkpoint inhibitors, pepinemab has potential to increase objective responses in oncology. The company additionally intends to leverage its proprietary drug discovery platform, ActivMAb®, to create opportunities for future pipeline expansion and strategic collaborations.
