Neuralstem's new branch

After 14 years spent working on neural stem cell therapies for neurological disorders, Neuralstem Inc. thinks it has found a second way to monetize its research investment. This quarter, the company plans to begin a Phase I trial of its first small molecule therapeutic discovered using the company's CNS stem cell lines.

Neuralstem was founded in 1996 to develop human CNS stem cell lines to treat neurological disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and spinal cord injury (SCI). The company's lead product, NSI-566RSC, is a human spinal cord-derived stem cell line in Phase I testing to treat ALS...