Let’s talk neuroscience with Michelle Sidor at SFN

As the Director of Neuroscience Alchemab Therapeutics, how do you navigate neuroscientific research to propel the company’s future objectives?

Michelle: The key is keeping up-to-date on research advancements and technological innovations, while keeping an eye on the therapeutic landscape. By doing this, we ensure we are well-positioned to take advantage of the latest findings and technologies that can help propel our research and development efforts forward, with the ultimate goal of delivering the right medicine to the right patient as quickly as we can.

Can you spotlight key contributions and achievements during your two-year venture at Alchemab Therapeutics, shaping not just the present, but also future neuroscience initiatives?

Michelle: This has been a very active two years for everyone at Alchemab, and any achievements have been driven by the collective effort across the teams we have at Alchemab. We are truly pushing the boundaries of drug discovery with our unique patient-forward approach to target discovery. We focus on patients who are resilient to disease and conduct an unbiased search for protective autoantibodies in these patients that may underlie their resiliency. This is a key differentiation factor that sets Alchemab apart and is the engine that drives our target discovery process. We currently have multiple programs at various stages of development thanks to this approach, with an exciting lead program based on a truly novel target.

Furthermore, our neuroscience capabilities have grown tremendously over these past two years, and it is a major goal of mine to ensure we are integrating innovation at every step of the process. One key innovation and achievement has been the integration of complex translatable in vitro systems and models into our discovery workflows. Our Associate Director of Neuroscience, Iosif Pediaditakis, has been responsible for delivering on this effort.

Sifis: Thank you, Michelle! At Alchemab, we’re acutely aware of the challenges in discovering new treatments for complex diseases, a problem often exacerbated by the limitations of current drug development models. Traditional models tend to oversimplify biological systems, leading to inaccuracies and poor predictability in terms of how drugs will behave in humans. Simply placing cells at the bottom of a well-plate creates an unnatural environment, triggering cellular responses that don’t accurately reflect human biology.

To address this, Alchemab is pioneering an innovative approach. We’re utilising complex, human cell-based systems that leverage cutting-edge technologies such as stem cells and microphysiological systems (ie, organ-chips, such as Brain-Chips). These advanced tools enable us to construct in vitro cellular microenvironments that more closely mimic the in vivo conditions. This approach allows us to de-risk the drug development process, enabling more accurate testing of our therapeutics. Our goal is to accelerate the development of effective treatments by using a more targeted and efficient approach in order to address the urgent health needs of patients.

Given the dynamic nature of neuroscience, how do you integrate cutting edge technologies into Alchemab’s scientific framework and anticipate future advancements in the field?

Michelle: Simply walking around conferences, such as SFN, you can see the future of neuroscience slowly unfolding and emerging. There is a huge push for multiplexed biological readouts, coupled with more advanced translatable model systems that capture more of the complexity of human neurological diseases. And I have to say, this is an extremely exciting time to be in neuroscience. To be a successful company within this space, we really need to have our finger on the pulse. So, looking forward, predicting the next big advancement and being proactive and open enough to adopt innovative and progressive technologies, ensures that Alchemab is at the forefront of its industry.

In the ever-evolving pharmaceutical landscape, how does Alchemab Therapeutics balance innovative neuroscience research with a forward-looking approach to industry standards and ethical considerations?

Michelle: The ultimate goal is the patient. Integration of innovative technologies and approaches that span early discovery to the clinic will help ensure that we move as quickly as we can to bring the right medicine to the right patient at the right time. But we must be mindful to use innovation and integrate it when it makes sense to do so. Innovation for innovation’s sake can be counterproductive, and so finding the right balance is key.