Alzheimer ’s Disease Drug Discovery and the Evolution of Start-Up Biotechnology Companies: Cognition Therapeutics, Inc. as a Case Study

This chapter tells the story of one start-up biotech company that discovered and developed CT1812, a disease-modifying therapeutic for Alzheimer’s dieases that is currently in clinical trials. The company overcame significant financial and scientific challenges to discover and develop a drug candidate that works by a novel mechanism of action: CT1812 removes the toxic Aβ oligomers thought to cause AD from the site on brain cells where they create damage. The company went from an idea to five Phase 2 clinical trials. This case study will hopefully encourage other entrepreneurs to take this journey.