Company Performance Metrics
David Grainger: Chief Scientific OfficerPast Role: Total Scientific, Executive Chairman- Wei Li: Co-Founder
MORPHOGEN-IX Limited is a drug discovery company founded in 2015 by Index Ventures to develop bone morphogenetic proteins as a novel therapy for the treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension
Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a severe and life-limiting disease that affects the blood vessels in the lungs, leading to heart failure, and leaves
sufferers feeling breathless and exhausted. Current treatments mainly target symptoms and the prognosis remains poor. The only effective cure is transplantation of the lungs or heart and lungs, which has associated risks and complications.
Compromised bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) receptor type II (BMPR-II) signalling in endothelial cells plays a pivotal role in the pathobiology PAH, as identified from human genetic studies.
BMP9 and 10 represent circulating ligands that selectively bind and activate BMPR-II receptor complexes on endothelial cells. Administration of exogenous BMP9 has been shown to augment endothelial BMPR-II signalling and reverse PAH in several rodent models of disease.
Our goal is to explore the potential of BMP9 and BMP10 as potential therapies for PAH.
The company follows the semi-virtual model with a hub based in Cambridge, UK. The company founders are experts in the field of PAH and BMPs. The team is staffed with experienced drug discovery professionals to direct an out-sourced development program. This model ensures maximum capital efficiency without sacrificing quality.
