Neurogenesis filter

BrainCells Inc. was formed in 2003 based on the idea that neurogenesis, the growth of new nerve tissue from a multipotent neural stem cell population, can be manipulated using small molecule therapeutics. In 2004, the company merged with NeuroGenix Corp., which linked neurogenesis to antidepressants and developed an animal model of chronic depression based on that idea. The combined company recently in-licensed its first product candidate, which it found based on screening using its core technology.

The technology combines in vitro assays and novel animal models. The company is using the screen both on new targets and to reprofile existing CNS drugs and drugs in development for non-depression CNS applications. According to BrainCells, the platform is an improvement over the predictive power of preclinical models for CNS disorders...