Developing revolutionary mitochondrial-targeted therapeutics

Restoring sulfide-mediated protective metabolism in metabolic disease and myopathies

Mitochondria

MitoRx Therapeutics

About us

MitoRx Therapeutics' first-in-class first-in-mechanism mitochondriotropic platform has the potential to address some of the most challenging diseases, focusing initially on obesity-related indications and myopathies, and expandable to broad additional areas of medicine. MitoRx’s restoration-of-function the sulfide-signaling system in metabolic disease models has been independently demonstrated to be both anti-obesogenic and muscle-protective.

Based in Oxford and Exeter, UK, MitoRx is developing a pipeline of pre-clinical programs to progress to the clinic. Built around the pioneer of mitochondrial-targeted sulfide donor technology, Prof Matt Whiteman PhD, the team is highly skilled in small molecule drug discovery and development as well as IP strategy.

MitoRx Therapeutics' mtH2SD technology is based on over a decade’s work, and over twenty publications demonstrating pharmacological utility of mitochondrial-targeted sulfide donors in multiple in vivo models.

Multiple peer-reviewed publications since 2014 have proven beyond a doubt that trans-sulfuration dysfunction is a feature of several progressive metabolic diseases, myopathies, lung inflammatory disease and rare indications as part of a shared pathophysiology preventing escape from mitochondrial dysfunction.

MitoRx Therapeutics mtH2SD approach reverses such mitochondrial dysfunction, enabling us to overcome mitochondrial-driven disease states which lead to muscle weakness, muscle wasting, cognitive deficit and neurodegeneration.

- Professor Matt Whiteman PhD, CSO

OUR science

Creating the ideal
mitochondrial medicine

The ideal mitochondrial medicine mechanism of action should:

• Restore mitochondrial function by modulating key mitochondrial metabolic transactivators which are under-activated in the target disease

• Simultaneously act at epigenetic, transcriptional and post-translational levels

• Be subject to safe enzymatic release within the mitochondria, avoiding rapid, abiotic or systemic release

MitoRx Therapeutics' proprietary technology exploits an endogenous mechanism which mediates sulfide-signaling, having the effect of substrate replenishment in states of trans-sulfuration deficiency omnipresent in several diseases and certain medical conditions, resulting in the restoration of adaptive metabolism.

While sulfide is rapidly metabolised, our products are potent and highly targeted, resulting in small and safe doses.

Pill Symbol

mtH2SD administered daily in progressive diseases featuring trans-sulfuration deficiency

Veins Symbol

mtH2SD very rapidly distributed to the tissues, negligible systemic H₂S release

Cell Icon

mtH2SD enters cells and partitions to the mitochondria

Mitochondria Symbol

mtH2SD enzymatic release of H₂S at target within mitochondria, replenishing the substrate required for persulfidation

Ball and stick

mtH2SD-mediated restoration of sulfide-signaling via protein S-persulfidation

Muscle Symbol

Mitochondrial dysfunction is reversed, disease progression is arrested

Disclosed Pipeline

MitoRx is developing a pipeline of first-in-class first-in-target small molecules for diseases involving mitochondrial dysfunction

Work with us

Partnering opportunities

MitoRx's pioneering new modality is the first potential medicine to functionally restore sulfide-signaling, which is mediated by the S-persulfidation post-translational modification of proteins. Our approach offers the opportunity to restore essential signaling events needed for protective metabolism to halt or reverse progression in multiple diseases where such sulfide-signaling impairment drives pathophysiology.

There are research collaboration and partnering opportunities in our core programs in obesity-related indication and Duchenne muscular dystrophy, with additional opportunities in the lung inflammatory diseases including IPF, CBS-deficiency and neurodegenerative disease including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's disease, as well as prevention of muscle wasting in sarcopenia, cancer cachexia and COPD cachexia.

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our talents

A team built for the challenge

MitoRx Therapeutics' mission is to arrest or profoundly delay progressive diseases featuring secondary mitochondrial dysfunction as the mediator of morbidity and mortality via restoration of sulfide-signaling dependent adaptive metabolism.

Our core team is expert in sulfide-biology, IP strategy, entrepreneurship, rare diseases, pharmacology, pre-clinical and clinical development, as well as partnering and business development.

Our Scientific Advisory Board
Chairman
Mr Glyn Edwards MBE

Glyn was appointed Chairman of MitoRx Therapeutics in February 2022. He is also non-executive director at OxSonics & Orthoson. Glyn previously served as CEO of Summit Therapeutics plc 2012-2020 where he restructured the business, took the company through a NASDAQ listing and took its Duchenne muscular dystrophy  (DMD) clinical development program through late-stage trials. Prior to joining Summit, he served as interim CEO of the BioIndustry Association (BIA), and as CEO at Antisoma plc, a biotech company specialising in the development of novel drugs for the treatment of cancer from 1998 to 2011. Glyn was awarded an MBE for his services to the biotechnology industry in 2006.

INDEPENDENT NED
Dr David Holbrook MA (OXON) MB BS MBA

Physician with long-term experience in healthcare venture capital in operating, leadership and board roles at LifeArc, MTI, Cambridge Enterprise and RYSE Asset Management including establishment of new fund after senior roles at GSK and Roche.

CEO AND CO-FOUNDER
Jon Rees PhD

16 years in industry including business development for Takeda Pharma Rare Diseases, VC deal sourcing for LSP.vc, successfully advising Ducentis BioTherapeutics on fundraising. Tranformative decade as spin-out CEO of leading biotech network OBN/BioTrinity. PKD patient charity trustee. Researched metabolic engineering at Oxford.

CTO, Head of IP and Co-Founder
Norman Law PhD

Experienced leader in biotech IP, skilled in patent law, technology evaluation and competitive intelligence. Previously Head of IP at Adaptimmune ($ADAP). Pharmacologist with 28 years industry experience who has taken two drugs from bench to market at TopoTarget (now Onxeo), research training at Yale and Cornell.

VP Drug Discovery
Rick Cousins PhD

Supporting MitoRx strategic medchem and external relations. Independent medchem and drug discovery consultant supporting investors, biotech and pharma since 2018 following a 30-year career at GSK as a Senior Research Director

Consultant Head of Research
Laure Humbert PhD

Led research teams of up to 30 preclinical scientists at Immunocore and Synaptix Bio, successful IND/CTA and BLA submissions.

HEAD OF PRECLINICAL RESEARCH
Julie Holder PhD

Leading MitoRx's preclinical research. 40 years of experience at GSK and at several biotech's companies in the design and execution of preclinical and toxicology studies utilizing small molecules, biologics, ATMPs to support FTIH studies

Senior Discovery Scientist and Co-Inventor
Roberta Torregrossa PhD

Experienced and highly skilled medicinal chemist from within the Whiteman and Wood Labs, specialized in the synthesis and in vitro testing of new mitochondrial-targeted hydrogen sulfide-releasing compounds with over 30 publications already including conference presentations.

Consultant VP Clinical Science
Allison Morgan PhD

30 years' experience developing clinical strategies and alliance management with UCB, ProSensa, Parexel and Abbott including over a decade consulting to innovative biotechs, including significant experience in NMD.

Proteomics Consultant
Rob Cooke PhD

Former CTO at Sosei-Heptares, 33-year career including two decades at GSK as Senior Director Drug Discovery Operations.

Consultant VP Investor Relations
Melissa Strange LLB MBA

Successfully raised $200m in dilutive and non-dilutive funding whilst holding senior finance roles, including multiple CFO roles in life sciences. LLB (Hons), FCCA and holds an MBA from Oxford.

VP Portfolio & Project Management
Hanna Dickenson PhD

Consultant with 20 years experience in pharma at companies such as Adaptimmune, Syntaxin (now part of Ipsen), Amphista, Grey Wolf, Cardinal Health and Patheon. Expertise in discovery, preclinical, clinical and commercial preparedness programmes.

Finance Director
David Richardson BSc ACMA AMCT

David brings over 30 years finance experience to his new role as Finance Director. He has held board positions at a number of venture-backed technology companies and his experience in the industry includes senior finance roles within both AstraZeneca and Evotec.

Inventor, Co-Founder and CSO
Prof Matt Whiteman PhD

Professor of Experimental Therapeutics, University of Exeter Medical School. Previous positions include Associate Professor and Assistant Dean, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (2000  - 2007) and visiting professor (Physiology, 2018). Other visiting professorships / scholar include the University of Christchurch, (New Zealand; 2006) and Siriraj Hospital / Mahidol University (Thailand, 2018). Key to elucidating the role of H2S in vivo and invented the first mitochondrial-targeted sulfide delivery molecules. Grant awards totally £6 m for mitochondrial H2S rescue of disease. > 20 years’ experience of redox biochemistry and pharmacology. 180 + publications, H-index = 80.

Co-Inventor
Dr. Mark E. Wood, D. Phil

Senior Lecturer in Organic Chemistry, University of Exeter. 25 years experience in sulfur heterocyclic chemistry in academia and industry, including GlaxoWellcome Fellow and Tutor in Organic Chemistry, University of Oxford.

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Email
info@mitorxtherapeutics.com
Phone
+44(0)1235 838631
HEADQUARTERS

Harwell, Oxford, UK