What it is
SereNeuro Therapeutics is a preclinical biotechnology company based in Baltimore that is developing non-opioid therapies for chronic pain. Its programs target chronic osteoarthritis joint pain and neuropathic pain. The company is located at 1812 Ashland Avenue in Baltimore, and its scientific co-founders include Johns Hopkins neuroscience faculty member Gabsang Lee, PhD, DVM, along with Xinzhong Dong, PhD, and Poppy Wang, PhD.
Pipeline and technology
- SN101 (IND-enabling): a first-in-class cell therapy made from mature iPSC-derived peripheral pain-sensing neurons (nociceptors) for chronic osteoarthritis joint pain. The company describes it as a potential disease-modifying osteoarthritis drug with two mechanisms: absorbing pain factors and preserving cartilage.
- SN102 (lead optimization): a gene therapy for trigeminal neuralgia designed to dampen hyperactive nociceptors while preserving normal sensation and motor function.
In a release from the International Society for Stem Cell Research, preclinical SN101 data presented at an ISSCR symposium in Boston were described as showing the cells acting as a "pain sponge" that soaks up inflammatory pain factors without sending pain signals to the brain, while also secreting regenerative factors. You can review the full pipeline on the company's pipeline page.
Team and leadership
The company is led by CEO and co-founder Dan Saragnese, MBA. The leadership team also includes Chief Scientific Officer Laura Richman, DVM, PhD, MBA; Chief Technology Officer Oliver Kraemer, PhD; and Senior Principal Scientist for Cell Therapy Tea Soon Park, PhD. Its board includes Marc Greenberger as Preferred Director and Margot Connor as Independent Director. Full bios are listed on the team section of its website.
Why it matters to DMV founders
SereNeuro is an example of a Baltimore life sciences startup that grew out of academic neuroscience and stem cell research and is moving a cell therapy toward an Investigational New Drug application. Founders working in regenerative medicine, gene therapy, neuroscience or pain may find it a useful peer company to follow, and job seekers in Baltimore biotech may want to watch for openings in cell therapy and translational research. The company is not an investor, accelerator or service provider, so it does not run programs for other startups.
How to engage
SereNeuro lists a general contact email, info@sereneuro.com, on its contact section. Partners, investors, clinicians and prospective hires can reach out there. The company also offers a monthly update newsletter that you can join through its newsletter signup page, and it maintains a company page on LinkedIn for news and announcements.
