Trophos has been around since 2000 and though the company managed to get tons of funding and get dozens of trials done, they’ve all failed. The development history of their lead drug is waaaaaaaaaaaayy too long to go over in detail so let’s just hit the highlights:

• Lead (and only) drug is called olesoxime (TRO-19622), which has a cholesterol-like structure that helps neurons survive.

• Mechanism: functions as a neuroprotectant, targets the mitochondrial permeability transition pore preventing the release of apoptotic factors.

• Potential indications: neuropathic pain, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), Huntington’s disease (HD), Parkinson’s disease (PD) and multiple sclerosis (MS).

• From 2000-2003 the company worked to find a lead, result was olesoxime.

• Olesoxime failed in a diabetic neuropathic pain trial, results were released in 2008.

• Ongoing NASH study on CT.gov (we hear it’s actually suspended due to the failed pain trial), supposedly ALS study ongoing, SMA study completed in Dec 2008, but no results released – probably negative.

The company has also used up more than $50M of investor money and grants. They received a grant from the MJF Foundation last year and are supposedly testing a novel compound in Parkinson’s disease. No updates since then.

Management

Damian Marron – CEO

Rebecca Pruss – CSO

Jean-Louis Abitbol – CMO

Christine Placet – CFO

Brigitte Chamayou-Anglade – Regulatory

Patrick Berna – Development

Stephen Harris – Business Development

Investors

Societe Generale Assets Management (SGAM)

Turenne Capital Partners

Viveris Management

SOFIPACA

SOFIMAC

OTC Asset Management

CM-CIC Asset Management

Blue Medical

Association Française contre les Myopathies (AFM)

The Michael J. Fox Foundation (Grant)

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