Bionure Inc. has announced its drug candidate, BN201, was shown to promote myelination — the cellular process of repairing the protective sheath surrounding nerves that is damaged in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The pre-clinical study was conducted in a novel cell-culture assay developed by the Myelin Repair Foundation (MRF) and assessed at the Foundation’s Translational Medicine Center under a previously announced collaborative agreement.Bionure and the Myelin Repair Foundation are working together to evaluate BN201 as a potential myelin repair candidate for treating acute optic neuritis and the severe MS relapses that occur in some patients. Acute optic neuritis is a severe inflammation of the optic nerve that may lead to blindness in people with MS. Using the Foundation’s co-culture assay, the collaboration’s scientists were able to show BN201 promotes myelination in animal cells.“We are working closely with scientists at the Myelin Repair Foundation’s Translational Medicine Center to advance the commercialization of BN201,” said Albert G. Zamora, CEO at Bionure, Inc. “The MRF’s myelin repair assay provided the confidence and independent validation to help us propel BN201 into clinical trials to determine its efficacy in humans. As a result, Bionure will now expand upon the intellectual property that we have for this compound.”“We are delighted to collaborate with Bionure to advance a potential myelin repair therapeutic for MS and optic neuritis towards commercialization,” said Jay Tung, Ph.D., chief research officer at the Myelin Repair Foundation. “Our collaboration with Bionure exemplifies the value that our Translational Medicine Center brings to industry partners. Our goal is to leverage our non-profit status to partner with industry and accelerate the drug development of potential MS therapeutics that promote myelin repair.”Source: MarketWatch Copyright © 2014 MarketWatch, Inc (27/05/14)