San Francisco, California, United States
Ben Gibson, Francesca Fieni
2017
Private company
Pre-seed
Mitochondrial dysfunction
small molecule drugs, proteins
Pano is a platform biotech venture focused on the clinical development of patented small molecule drugs targeting mitochondrial ion channels addressing a constellation of complex disease states.
The mitochondrial etiology of complex diseases of aging – and physiology of aging itself – has been theorized for decades, though largely overlooked by the mainstream scientific and drug development communities due to the historic challenges of studying mitochondrial biology and pharmacology.
The pathophysiology of many common complex diseases, including metabolic syndrome / Type 2 Diabetes, various cancers, neurodegenerative disease, cardiovascular disease, etc. reveal features that consistently involve progressive dysfunction of mitochondria and energy metabolism.
Mitochondrial ion channels comprise a group of proteins that mediate the transport of ions across both the inner and outer mitochondrial membranes and influence essentially all physiological processes in the mitochondria, including energy metabolism, cellular signaling, oxidative stress, metabolic flexibility, and cell proliferation & death. Mitochondrial ion channel dysfunction resulting from environmental stressors may therefore manifest in a constellation of chronic complex diseases of aging; consequently mitochondrial ion channels present a novel cohort of drug targets.
Through electrophysiology research exploring mitochondrial ion channels at UCSF, Pano’s scientific founder identified a novel ion channel target associated with Metformin’s mitochondrial mechanism of action (MOA) by means of a proprietary assay method she developed and which is now exclusively licensed to Pano. Pano has also developed a unique set of new molecular entities and novel natural product combinations with a similar target MOA and is presently developing therapeutic applications.
Given Metformin’s well-known pleiotropic effects and its pharmacological limitations, the identification of its mitochondrial MOA presents opportunities for the development of improved drugs for a broad range of complex diseases as well as other disorders associated with metabolic dysfunction.
Metformin is the first line therapeutic for Type 2 Diabetes and is consequently one of the most prescribed drugs in the world. There are more than 300 clinical trials ongoing or planned exploring the development of Metformin for various applications in oncology and other indications, including ‘healthspan/aging’. However, Metformin manifests poor access and low potency at its mitochondrial target due to its intrinsic chemical properties which limit its therapeutic applications.
Development of better alternatives to Metformin has been hampered by the lack of a clear understanding of its mitochondrial MOA, lack of a direct assay to identify new leads with a similar target, and a consequent lack of new compounds to support a business model for clinical development.