Bexorg, Inc., a pioneering techbio company focused on decoding the human brain, announced a multi-program research collaboration with Biohaven Ltd. (NYSE: BHVN) to identify, de-risk, and advance next-generation therapies for central nervous system (CNS) disorders. The partnership will leverage Bexorg's novel whole-brain discovery platform to support two preclinical development programs at Biohaven.
Revolutionary Whole-Brain Technology Platform
Bexorg's whole-brain discovery platform represents the only technology capable of perfusing isolated, cadaver human and pig brains with custom-made artificial blood, thereby restoring metabolic and molecular activity for prolonged periods. The technology was developed by Bexorg's founders at Yale University and enables the extraction of high-resolution transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolic insights in disease-relevant states.
"Our technology enables preclinical testing of almost any therapeutic in metabolically active whole human brains, whether diseased or non-diseased, providing a significant advantage over any other preclinical model in neuroscience," said Zvonimir Vrselja, MD, PhD, CEO and Co-founder at Bexorg. "Our ability to collect longitudinal data from our whole-brain discovery platform allows us to validate new targets and biomarkers and understand the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles and potential safety and effectiveness of drugs before going into the clinic."
Addressing Critical Translational Gaps
The collaboration addresses a fundamental challenge in CNS drug development. According to Bruce D. Car, DVM, PhD, DACVP, Chief Scientific Officer at Biohaven, "The lack of robust translational preclinical models that adequately capture the complexity of human brain structure and function, including the architecture and dynamics of neural networks comprised of billions of neurons and glial cells and the trillions of connections that exist between them, and account for physiological gradients of drug exposure throughout the brain associated with distinct profiles of drug transport across the blood-brain barrier, has, until now, severely handicapped CNS drug discovery and development."
Car noted that "Bexorg's novel platform effectively overcomes the myriad deficiencies inherent in this translational gap, permitting unprecedented and detailed insights into the CNS pharmacology, dosimetry, and potential efficacy of drug candidates before advancing to costly and time-consuming clinical trials."
Comprehensive Data Generation and AI Integration
As part of the collaboration, Bexorg will demonstrate target engagement in relevant cell types and tissues and generate novel biomarkers, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic relationships, and other mechanistic data. The platform aims to deliver insights from systemic delivery of Biohaven's therapeutics, including analysis of pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and mechanism of action.
Data generated from the platform may also potentially point to the responsiveness of patient subpopulations and identify novel biomarkers to inform clinical trials. Bexorg is building the largest and most physiologically relevant datasets in human neurodegeneration to enable machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI)-centered CNS drug discovery and development.
Company Platforms and Pipeline
Bexorg operates a full-stack technology platform supporting CNS drug discovery through its proprietary wet-lab platform, BrainEx, which enables restoration of molecular activity in postmortem human brains. The company is developing an AI engine called XO Digital, which learns from each experiment, creating a closed-loop system of in-silico prediction and wet-lab validation.
Biohaven maintains an extensive clinical and nonclinical portfolio including Kv7 ion channel modulation for epilepsy and mood disorders, extracellular protein degradation for immunological diseases, TRPM3 antagonism for migraine and neuropathic pain, TYK2/JAK1 inhibition for neuroinflammatory disorders, glutamate modulation for OCD and spinocerebellar ataxia, myostatin inhibition for neuromuscular and metabolic diseases including SMA and obesity, and antibody recruiting bispecific molecules and antibody drug conjugates for cancer.
Financial terms of the collaboration were not disclosed. Bexorg operates with an independent board comprised of bioethics leaders to ensure operations maintain the highest standards, working in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health on bioethics in postmortem brain molecular recovery research.
