Backed by Morningside, Pinteon’s first clinical program targets toxic tau isoform

After five years performing preclinical work with funding from Morningside Ventures, Pinteon has emerged from stealth mode just as its lead program has reached the clinic to treat tauopathy-associated neurodegenerative diseases.

Based on research by Kun Ping Lu at Harvard Medical School’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Pinteon’s antibody targeting a neurotoxic conformation of tau, cis p-t 231, may preserve brain function in patients with neurodegenerative diseases. CEO Martin Jefson told BioCentury that Morningside licensed Lu’s research related to PIN1 -- the enzyme that regulates tau’s conformation and gives Pinteon its name -- to form the company in 2014 (see “Tau’s Cease and De-Cis-t Letter”)...