Foundation Fighting Blindness awards $900,000 to MitoChem Therapeutics to study target and mechanism of action in retinal degeneration disease

The investment will allow MitoChem to refine the mechanism of action of our lead compound, to complement our existing proof of concept in animal data. (Image courtesy of Adobe Stock)

Foundation Fighting Blindness has awarded $900,000 to MitoChem Therapeutics Inc to advance its understanding of the mechanism of action of their lead compound in treating a range of retinal degenerative diseases.

According to the company, a key factor to mitochondrial dysfunction is the formation of aggregates or biomolecular condensates on or within mitochondria. The news release noted the research will focus on the compound's impact on biomolecular condensates, which are implicated as a key driver of pathology in neurodegeneration and diseases impacting high metabolic organs. Because the retina is one of the highest energy consuming systems in the human body, deficits in energy supply can be catastrophic. If unresolved, the metabolic crisis leads to cell death and vision loss.

According to a news release, compounds that clear these condensates might have beneficial effects.

Michael Voevodsky, CEO of MitoChem, pointed out in the news release the company is pleased to have the ongoing support from the Foundation Fighting Blindness.

“Their investment will allow us to refine the mechanism of action of our lead compound, to complement our existing proof of concept in animal data," Voevodsky said in the news release.

Moreover, the news release noted the funding comes from the competitive Translational Research Acceleration Program (TRAP), which awards proposals of the highest scientific merit that will advance the foundation's goals and objectives for treating retinitis pigmentosa, dry macular degeneration and the entire spectrum of retinal degenerative diseases. TRAP awards accelerate the movement of preclinical research toward clinical utility, providing a robust and diverse pipeline of potential therapies to fight inherited retinal degenerations and dry age-related macular degeneration, the foundation noted in the news release.

Chad Jackson, PhD, senior director at the Foundation Fighting Blindness, lauded the work MitoChem is doing.

"MitoChem's unique disease agnostic approach is compelling as it has the potential to treat a broad range in retinal disease, many of which have no available therapy today," Jackson said in the news release.