Vesper Bio

Vesper Bio is a clinical stage biotech company and world leader in sortilin biology. Vesper's VES001 is being developed for Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD-GRN) and is in phase IIa. VES001, is a patient friendly, first-in-class, brain penetrant, oral treatment which targets progranulin deficiency, a major underlying cause of frontotemporal dementia (FTD). As an orally delivered small molecule, VES001 is able to cross the blood-brain barrier and is an ideal dosing method among these patients due to their rapidly declining mental state. About frontotemporal dementia (FTD): Frontotemporal dementia (FTD), also known as frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), is a group of brain disorders that cause degeneration in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. FTD impacts a person’s behaviour, judgement, communication and ability to participate in all activities of daily living. It is the most common cause of dementia in people under the age of 60 and is often misdiagnosed as Alzheimer’s Disease. FTD-GRN is a form of FTD caused by mutations of the progranulin gene (GRN), resulting in low progranulin levels. FTD-GRN accounts for up to 12% of all FTD cases. There are thought to be around 17,400 patients with FTD-GRN in the seven major markets and roughly 140,000 carriers at risk in these markets who will go on to develop FTD-GRN.