10th Annual Neuroscience Innovation Forum

Acelot develops small molecules for challenging targets in diseases with high unmet need by harnessing cutting-edge computational tools to drug targets that lack complete structural information. Acelot’s first-in-class development candidate, ACE-2223, targets misfolded TDP-43 for the treatment of sporadic ALS. ACE-2223 disrupts misfolded TDP-43 and restores nuclear TDP-43 function and downstream protein splicing. ACE-2223 is well characterized in vitro and is the first orally bioavailable small molecule to show target engagement against misfolded TDP-43 and significant extension of survival in aggressive ALS animal models. ACE-2223 will begin first in human studies in spring 2026.

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Cognito Therapeutics is a late-stage clinical neurotechnology company pioneering disease-modifying treatments for neurodegenerative diseases. Its lead product, Spectris™, uses non-invasive auditory and visual neuromodulation to enhance gamma frequency brain activity, with the goal of slowing brain atrophy and functional decline in Alzheimer's disease. Cognito is committed to developing transformative, technology-driven interventions to address unmet needs in the treatment of CNS diseases. Cognito is headquartered in Cambridge, MA.

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Merz Therapeutics is a global specialty neurology biopharma focused development and commercialization of movement disorders, neurodegenerative disorders, rare/orphan neurological disease and chronic pain. We actively seek clinical and commercial opportunities including for in-licensing and M&A.

Oculis SA is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing transformative topical ophthalmic treatments using its innovative formulation technologies to improve the sight and lives of patients. Oculis’ novel topical (eye drop) treatments are non-invasive and represent an unprecedented technical advance for patients with retinal and front-of-the-eye diseases. The Company’s leading clinical candidates include OCS-01 and OCS-02: OCS-01 is a novel, high concentration, preservative free, topical formulation of dexamethasone using Oculis’ proprietary Solubilizing Nanoparticle (SNP) technology. It has successfully completed two Phase 2 clinical trials: in Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) and for treating inflammation and pain following cataract surgery. OCS-01 has the potential to provide the first non-invasive topical treatment option for DME patients and the first once a day, preservative free steroid for inflammation and pain following ocular surgery. OCS-02 is a novel topical anti-TNF alpha antibody and was in-licensed from Novartis. It has successfully completed two Phase 2 clinical trials in Acute Anterior Uveitis and in Dry Eye Disease. In addition, Oculis’ formulation discovery focus and capabilities are enabling the development of a pipeline of topical drugs targeting sight-threatening eye diseases that affect both the anterior and posterior segments of the eye. Oculis has an experienced management team from global ophthalmic companies and is supported by leading international life science investors. Oculis is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, with research operations in Iceland and France.

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Tonix is a fully integrated, commercial biopharmaceutical company focused on CNS and immunology.

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Enveric Biosciences (NASDAQ: ENVB) is a biotechnology company focused on developing next-generation, small-molecule neuroplastogenic therapeutics that address unmet needs in psychiatric and neurological disorders.

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KeifeRx is a biopharma company building upon its extensive clinical experience in neurodegenerative diseases to advance kinase Inhibitors that attack neurodegenerative diseases at their root cause. Our lead asset is KFRX03, a best-in-class, small molecule kinase inhibitor for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease with superior brain penetration. KFRX03 selectively targets c-ABL and c-KIT to restore autophagy and attack the three pillars of neurodegenerative diseases; microglial-mediated neuroinflammation, toxic protein build up, and vascular damage to restore cognition in mice models of dementia. We are currently raising a $25M Series A to bring KFRX03 through a Phase 1a/1b clinical trial.

Neuro-Innovators, Inc. (NIV) is a clinical-stage biotech developing a first-in-class, multi-mechanism approach to neurorecovery. Its lead program, NIV-001, is a proprietary combination of three repurposed FDA-approved drugs designed to enhance neuroplasticity and improve motor recovery in stroke survivors—an estimated $20B unmet need in the U.S. Stroke is also the only neurologic condition with an FDA-accepted objective functional endpoint (Fugl-Meyer Assessment Score, including objective motor metrics), providing a validated, quantitative efficacy measure that helps de-risk approval. Traditional neurotherapeutic development is often high-risk, high-cost, and slow, frequently targeting narrow mechanisms with limited efficacy. NIV’s polypharmacology strategy repurposes approved drugs via the FDA’s 505(b)(2) pathway, leveraging existing safety data to reduce time, cost, and development risk. NIV projects a potential approval timeline of ~5 years with total development cost as low as ~$40M, compared with ~10 years and ~$1B commonly required for new chemical entities. The three drugs in NIV-001 were selected for breadth of mechanism, relevance to chronic stroke, non-overlapping metabolic pathways, and brain availability. The Mass General Brigham IRB has approved NIV’s Phase 1/2a proof-of-concept study at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, expected to begin within weeks, with initial data anticipated before the end of Q2 2026. NIV is negotiating a diagnostics partnership to support trial blood-sample testing, enabling biomarker-to-function calibration and phenotyping to accelerate future development. NIV has filed multiple patents (owned outright) and plans to expand beyond stroke into indications such as TBI, ALS, and multiple sclerosis. NIV is raising $3M in seed financing in two $1.5M tranches to fund study execution, CDMO selection, diagnostics partnership, FDA pre-IND planning, and IP expansion, targeting acquisition or licensing potential within ~36 months.

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Psilera is a biopharmaceutical company developing groundbreaking therapeutics for hard-to-treat neurological conditions. Psilera’s diverse pipeline includes two partnered late stage programs with AtaiBeckley (BPL-003, 5-MeO-DMT phase III ready and VLS-01, DMT phase IIb) for treatment-resistant depression through an IP licensing transaction executed in early 2025. Furthermore, by utilizing their proprietary neuroplastogen drug design platform, Psilera has amassed a leading pipeline of next-generation neuroplastogens including PSIL-006, a first-in-class therapeutic for the treatment of frontotemporal dementia (FTD). With a deep commitment to scientific excellence and patient centricity, Psilera quests to provide treatment options to underserved patient populations throughout the globe. Welcome to the new era of mindful medicine.

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Sinaptica has developed a new form of personalized weekly brain stimulation for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) that has been granted FDA breakthrough status based on unprecedented published sham-controlled Phase 2 data-- significantly slowing mild-to-moderate (M/M) AD on all functional and cognitive endpoints at 6 months, and on the primary and all key secondaries at 12 months in all three domains: cognition, function, and behavior, with virtually no side-effects. Sinaptica’s technology is a new powerful form of rTMS with personalization (via concurrent pairing with EEG), precision (via Neuronavigation) and a proprietary ML algorithm and treats AD by enhancing neuroplasticity via neuromodulation of the Default mode network (DMN), a novel brain network responsible for episodic memory and strongly implicated in AD. Sinaptica is emerging as a leader in personalized precision brain stimulation with a connectomics-based platform that can address multiple brain disease states, starting with Alzheimer's and MCI.

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Vandria is a clinical-stage biotech company based in Lausanne, Switzerland, developing first-in-class therapies targeting mitochondrial dysfunction to treat age-related diseases. Our lead compound, VNA‑318, is a brain-penetrant mitophagy inducer currently in Phase 1 clinical trials for neurodegenerative conditions. Backed by over $30 million in Series A funding and supported by European innovation grants, Vandria aims to restore cellular resilience and improve health span through mitochondrial science.

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Vincere Biosciences develops small-molecule therapeutics to address significant unmet medical needs, including Parkinson’s disease, for which no disease-modifying therapies currently exist. Genetic mutations that impair mitophagy, the process by which damaged mitochondria are removed, cause Mendelian forms of Parkinson’s disease. In addition, mitochondrial function and mitophagy are deficient in sporadic Parkinson’s disease. Furthermore, enhancement of mitophagy has demonstrated protective effects in preclinical models and is ready for translation to human trials. Vincere has developed novel, potent, and selective USP30 inhibitor molecules that enhance mitophagy of damaged mitochondria without harming or eliminating healthy mitochondria. These molecules have the potential to become the first disease-modifying medicines for Parkinson’s disease. The company is supported by a robust mitochondrial screening and validation platform, as well as patented artificial intelligence and simulation tools that accelerate molecule discovery and development. The Development Candidate molecule is brain penetrant, orally bioavailable, and has demonstrated favorable safety margins in non-GLP studies; it is currently advancing through GLP IND-enabling studies in preparation for clinical trials in 2026. Vincere has received support from top-tier investors, including Draper Associates, LongGame, Castor Capital, Portal Innovations, Quadrascope, Healthspan Capital, KreaMedica, Freemind Investment, Beresford Ventures, Daewoong Pharma, and HanAll Biopharma, among others. The company’s approach has been validated through multiple NIH SBIR awards (from NIA and NINDS), grants from the Michael J. Fox Foundation, and in-kind industry awards from Johnson & Johnson and Bristol Myers Squibb. Vincere aims to advance its lead molecules into human clinical trials next year and intends to pursue partnerships with pharmaceutical companies as its primary commercialization strategy.

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