Neurotar offers new insight into CNS-diseases

“The two-photon microscopy is a promising and widely discussed technology that has been increasingly in use in the academic world during the last few years. My research group at the Neuroscience Center of the University of Helsinki  has accumulated several years of expertise in using this technology, but Neurotar is the first company to offer in vivo two-photon microscopy as a commercial service,” says Leonard Khiroug, Neurotar's founder and Chief Scientific Officer.

Building the picture behind the diseases

Neurotar´s services are aimed at biotech and pharmaceutical companies that conduct preclinical and clinical research. While companies developing CNS drugs for diseases such as Alzheimer´s disease, stroke, and migraine comprise Neurotar’s primary target group, other companies focusing on cancer, dermatology and drug delivery can also benefit from Neurotar’s services, for instance from non-invasive imaging of intact human skin.

“We want to help our Clients reach their goals faster and at lower expense. For someone who has been developing a drug for many years we can provide greater insight into how the drug actually works. We put old pieces together with the newly obtained information, which enhances the big picture,” Khiroug explains. The applications in the drug discovery can be found mostly at target validation and lead optimization stages, and Neurotar’s services are especially beneficial at the point of making the crucial decision on whether or not to take the lead-molecule to clinical trials. “These are usually the most costly and high risk steps for the drug developer, therefore faster and better-informed decisions can lead to huge savings of time, human effort and money,” Khiroug continues. The technology also helps in reducing the number of test animals, as it makes it possible to study the same animal non-invasively over and over again. This is especially relevant in animal models of Alzheimer´s disease, because the costs of maintaining large animal colonies into the advanced age run very high. In stroke models, in vivo two-photon imaging technology allows targeting one small blood vessel at a time, which is crucial in understanding the mechanisms behind stroke and recovery.

Another promising application of Neurotar’s services is in the research on skin cancers, dermatological disorders and transdermal drug delivery systems. Two-photon technology has already been used for repetitive non-invasive microscopic analysis of human skin, which is sometimes termed “optical biopsy”.  The advantage of this type of biopsy is that the skin does not need to be removed, and that exposure to infra-red light is completely harmless to patients or volunteers. Neurotar is ready to perform such studies for companies developing transdermal drugs or skin-targeting medical devises. 

Turning the cutting-edge technology into business

The idea of a service company came from practical grounds. As a principal investigator, Dr. Khiroug has long provided his expertise in advanced imaging methods to other researchers. “I was engaged in collaborations and joint studies with many research groups, and came to realize that the need for the in vivo two-photon imaging, provided as a service, was remarkable.” That was the kick off for Neurotar. Currently the company is up and running, it employs 5 people and has just moved into new premises in the Helsinki Business and Science Park in Viikki.

Neurotar recently received first installment of a substantial private investment to be completed in two more rounds during the next two years. “We are very happy to get investment shortly after the global financial crisis, which has negatively affected the rates of private investment both globally and locally,” says Katja Karelina, Neurotar’s Director of Business Development. “We are convinced that the demand for our services could be enormous, if we succeed in building the awareness about their nature and benefits.  Private funding gives us a great chance to do just that – to jump-start and accelerate our business’ growth. Nevertheless, we don’t want to “go at it alone” but rather we are very interested in collaborations with other service companies”. Karelina and Khiroug feel that it is generally underestimated how much help startup companies receive in Finland. “For example, Culminatum Innovation´s Boost Biobusiness has collected a large pool of experts, out of which we were able to find the right advisers for our specific needs. We have learned a great deal from the business advisers that we found through this program. We are looking forward to collaborating with some of them in the future,” Karelina adds.

More information: www.neurotar.com