In March 2021, the EU-funded biotech company Gain Therapeutics successfully entered the NASDAQ stock market. We had the opportunity to chat with the president.
Founded in 2017 in Lugano, Gain Therapeutics focuses on developing innovative treatments for rare and neurodegenerative diseases, specifically those that develop in individuals because of protein misfolding related or not to genetic mutations (such as Parkinson’s, Gaucher and Krabbe disease). Gain developed the technology SEE-Tx, which, thanks to supercomputers (like the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre in Lugano) and a patented algorithm, can identify molecules (STARs) that can recover the activity impaired by the misfolded protein and alleviate the course of these serious chronic diseases that have no therapeutic alternatives. On 18 March 2021, Gain Therapeutics made an amazing accomplishment: it successfully entered the American stock market NASDAQ. SwissCore had the pleasure to talk with Dr. Manolo Bellotto, General Manager and President of Gain Therapeutics, who provided us with an overview of how the company works and an outlook on its future goals.
One of the particularities of Gain is its international structure. While Lugano hosts its global R&D Headquarters and development facility, Barcelona is home of the research facility and computational engine. Corporate and business development on the other hand take place in Bethesda (Maryland, USA). It is thus no surprise that this company has received a number of American, European and Swiss grants, including from Innosuisse, Eurostars-2, the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson and the Silverstein Foundation. Dr. Bellotto tells us that they wanted to enter the stock market to ensure additional investment opportunities: the European market is still relatively closed off to investing in early biotech companies, whereas it is very common in the United States. Gain managed to be quoted on the market thanks to their scientific results, their established industrial research collaborations and their efficient use of resources across the globe.
For Dr. Bellotto, it is especially essential for a small biotech company specialised in rare diseases to have access to a vast international network. EU-level funding offered Gain the opportunity to access preclinical tools it otherwise would not have had, allowing it to validate the technology needed for its treatments. This is mutually beneficial to all members of its consortia: its molecules can build new tools and validate those with Gain’s new pharmacological compounds. The benefits for Swiss companies to be able to participate in EU funding programmes such as Horizon Europe are numerous, like broadening their outreach to relevant academic centres and centres of excellence.
However, Dr. Bellotto also points out the benefits of growing a biotech company in the Swiss research environment. In the case of Gain, it has a longstanding relationship with the lab of Professor Maurizio Molinari at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB) in Bellinzona, an internationally recognised institution in the field of protein quality control. Switzerland offers access to universities with high records of accomplishment and a sufficient amount of quality personnel active in life sciences. Dr. Bellotto tells us that being based in Ticino, which has a less internationally based financial environment, did not slow down the process of building the company. On the contrary, it simulated the founders and initial investors to be more creative and seek internationality elsewhere.
Concentrating on rare and ultra-rare disorders, Gain Therapeutics is helping improve the lives of children who often do not reach the age of 1 or 2 years. For diseases such as Krabbe and Gaucher, there are currently limited treatment options; Gain is thus offering hope to affected families. In addition, Gain is also contributing to the Swiss economic development, in particular in Ticino. It provides jobs and fosters academic discussions with the regional social and economic environment. With the entry into NASDAQ, Gain is showing local companies that, with the adequate talent and will, it is possible to think bold and reach high objectives anywhere. The next steps for Dr. Bellotto and the rest of the team will be to prepare the preclinical regulatory research that will allow the start of clinical studies for their two main programmes. According to their timetable pipeline, they intend to start the clinical phase in a couple of years and they hope to broaden the scope of their technologies to address the need for cures of other diseases.
Video on Gain Therapeutics: here