NOVATO, Calif., March 4, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Mercaptor Discoveries (Mercaptor), a company developing Captons™, small molecules that target brain trauma and neurodegenerative diseases, announced today that Sara Isbell, CEO, President and Co-Founder of Mercaptor Discoveries, will be a speaker at the 9th Annual Traumatic Brain Injury Conference in Washington D.C. on May 16, 2019.
The annual conference, which takes place May 16-17, unites researchers and clinicians from industry, academia, military and government to present ground-breaking research in a variety of areas related to traumatic brain injury.
Entitled "Captons: A Promising New Approach to Treating Traumatic Brain Injury by Addressing Excitotoxicity," Sara Isbell's speech will outline the expectations of Mercaptor's newly identified molecules, called Captons, to address excitotoxicity and slow the progression of neuronal damage. For decades, studies have demonstrated that stopping excitotoxity halts the spread of tissue damage within the brain. Captons are designed to halt the process of excitotoxicity, thereby preventing progressive neuronal death and neurodegeneration.
Captons have received positive Proof of Concept (POC) for protection from seizure in studies conducted by the NIH-NINDS. By addressing excitotoxicity, Capton technology could give longer, healthier lives to millions who suffer from crippling chronic conditions linked to TBI and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a TBI-related brain condition associated with the development of dementia and other neurodegenerative conditions.
Dr. Michael Schwartz, Co-Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee of Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) and Chief Ringside Physician of Professional Boxing & Mixed Martial Art at Mohegan Sun, Foxwoods Resorts and State of Connecticut weighed in on the potential for Captons to treat TBI. "As someone who has devoted my life to promoting health and safety in professional boxing and mixed martial arts, preventing traumatic brain injuries has been arduous."
Dr. Schwartz, who is a member of Mercaptor's Executive Advisory Board added: "Capton technology appears to offer a novel approach in treating the sequela of the disease, and may more importantly exhibit a unique mechanism of action as a targeted neuroprotective agent."
Dr. Schwartz considers Capton based treatment to be a potential gamechanger for those impacted by TBI. "Given the millions of concussions diagnosed every year in the U.S., treatment with Captons offers the potential to change the lives of many individuals including athletes, children and military personnel with the ultimate goal of reducing the long term chronic debilitating effects of the disease."
About Mercaptor Discoveries
Mercaptor Discoveries was founded by a scientific team with experience developing successful biotech companies, including Raptor Pharmaceuticals. Raptor was purchased by Horizon Pharma in 2016 for $860M USD. Mercaptor's founding scientists discovered injury-activated molecules, called Captons™. Captons have reproducible preclinical POC as neuroprotectants and have potential to prevent the progression of CNS disorders and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, ALS, CTE, Parkinson's disease, MS and stroke. Each member of Mercaptor's team prioritizes productivity and transparency and values the purity of research. To learn more, visit www.mercaptor.com.
Contact: Carole Barrow, cbarrow@mercaptor.com
SOURCE Mercaptor Discoveries
