Researchers at the University of Gothenburg are developing medication against multiple sclerosis (MS). And recently, the Dutch pharmaceutical company Synthon bought into the project.
- I think it is unique that a pharmaceutical company comes in at such an early stage, says Anna Sjöblom-Hallén, CEO of Mivac Developments to GP.
Mivac started as a large research centre at the University of Gothenburg and the Sahlgrenska Academy. Mivac Developments was founded with financial support from Region Västra Götaland in order to take care of the practical work required to commercialise results from academic research.
One of the biggest challenges in the pharmaceutical industry is often to acquire funding to projects that are in the middle-land between basic research and candidates for finished medical products.
Anna Sjöblom therefore hopes that the deal with Synthon will lead to a break-through in this area.
- This is an early-stage project that now has acquired international recognition. It is very nice to see that what we do is considered interesting elsewhere as well, and not only by us.
The method to treat MS builds on the same principles as treatment of pollen allergies, where patients are subjected to small doses of pollen during a long period of time until the body starts accepting the substance. The same thing will be done for MS patients.
- Instead of just controlling the symptoms and dampening the inflammation, the body is programmed to start tolerating the substance it thinks is dangerous.
Even though similar methods are being developed at other places, Mivac believes it has two advantages. The medicine is homing, meaning it finds the cells it should be used on, and it can be taken like a normal nasal spray.
