MODAG GmbH - Overview
MODAG focuses on research and development of therapeutics and diagnostics for neurodegenerative diseases. It is a privately held company located at the Hochtechnologiepark Wendelsheim, Germany with additional Research & Development facilities in Munich and Göttingen. MODAG’s innovative approach offers a unique combination of early diagnosis and targeted disease-modifying therapies for severe neurological disorders.
MODAG´s collaborations with top-tier US and European research institutions, combined with the interdisciplinary research and development expertise of the founder´s and the management team, provide ideal conditions for the accelerated implementation into clinical applications. Built upon an extensive portfolio of patented active compounds, MODAG is developing a new oligomer modulator for Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) and other synucleinopathies such as Parkinson´s disease (PD) with the potential to deliver novel disease-modifying, first-in-class drugs with the potential to halt progression.
Management of MODAG
Dr. Torsten Matthias, Chief Executive Officer
MODAG CEO Dr. Matthias has over thirty years of experience as a scientist, owner, CEO and CSO of the global active AESKU.GROUP, a research-oriented manufacturer and distributor of novel products and services for the early detection, diagnosis and prognosis of autoimmune and infectious diseases, allergies and food intolerances. AESKU.GROUP supports with fast, accurate and reliable tests for home use as well as for professional use, simplifies laboratory routines with laboratory devices, laboratory software and considers all important disease areas equally.
In recent years, the AESKU.GROUP and Dr. Matthias have received several awards for the innovative nature of the company and its products.
Dr. Matthias has a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and a PhD in Physical Biochemistry from the Technical University of Dresden, a PhD in Biochemistry and Genetic Engineering from the University of Bielefeld. He holds more than 10 patents, as an example the patient of depot insulin. Furthermore, he is the author of more than 200 publications and lectures.
The primary objective of Dr. Matthias' research and development work is the advancement of innovative and market-oriented diagnostics and therapies.
In addition to promoting competitive and successful companies, Dr. Matthias is highly involved in developing close networks and securing interdisciplinary research on the pathogenesis, diagnosis and therapy of neuronal degenerative diseases.
Prof. Dr. Armin Giese, Chief Scientific Officer
Prior to joining MODAG as CSO, Prof. Dr. Giese was Acting Head of Department at the Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research (ZNP) at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and Acting Head of the German Reference Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DGNN).
He holds a Bachelor of Science from the University College London, Medical Licenses from the University of Kiel, and a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Göttingen. Dr. Giese is a board-certified neuropathologist at the Bavarian Chamber of Physicians (Landesärztekammer Bayern), and has published over 150 scientific publications that have been cited more than 16,000 times. His scientific work focuses on the role of protein aggregation in neurodegenerative diseases.
Prof. Dr. Giese developed new high-throughput methods for the detection of protein oligomers and for the screening of aggregation inhibitors based on single particle spectroscopy. Utilizing this technology, he identified novel aggregation inhibitors with excellent medical-chemical properties and high in vivo efficacy. Based on these findings, he co-founded MODAG GmbH in 2013.
Prof. Dr. Johannes Levin, Chief Medical Officer
Before joining MODAG as CMO, Prof. Dr. Levin was Head of the Outpatient Clinic for Neurodegenerative Diseases at the Department of Neurology at the Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) in Munich, Germany and Deputy Head of Clinical Research at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) in Munich. He will continue exercising these responsibilities at a 50% capacity-rate.
Prof. Dr. Levin studied medicine at the LMU Munich, the Universidad de Granada (Spain) and Harvard Medical School (Cambridge, MA, USA). He holds a Doctor of Medicine from the LMU, Munich. He is a board-certified neurologist at the Bavarian Chamber of Physicians (Landesärztekammer Bayern) and has published over 180 scientific papers in leading scientific journals. His work has contributed to the definition of the natural history, environmental factors, and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Prof. Dr. Levin has a proven track record for coordinating and leading academic research studies as well as industry-sponsored clinical trials.
He serves as Principal Investigator to many clinical studies including the largest interventional Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) trial in Germany and international cohort studies such as the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer’s Network (DIAN), and the Genetic Frontotemporal dementia Initiative (GENFI).
Company History
In a cooperation with the teams of Prof. Dr. Armin Giese at the LMU Munich and Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Christian Griesinger at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry Göttingen, a new class of oligomer modulators was identified with an innovative screening platform based on single particle fluorescence technology (SIFT).
This drug development program led to the identification of anle138b and more than 250 analogs, which are protected by several patents. In addition to the non-dilutive financing through grants, MODAG successfully completed a first round of seed funding in 2013 with the participation of “Bayerische Patentallianz GmbH”, “Max Planck Innovation” and the founding partners Prof. Dr. Armin Giese, Prof. Dr. Christian Griesinger, Dr. Marcus Kostka and Dr. Torsten Matthias as the main investor of this seed financing.
Following the successful completion of the anle138b preclinical development program and the development of the associated diagnostic tools, MODAG has secured Series A financing in 2019 and is currently advancing lead program anle138b into Phase 1 clinical trial.
External concept validation
Galenus-von-Pergamon Prize
Finalist of the Galenus von Pergamon Prize 2013
Innovation Prize Universal Biotech
Finalist of the Innovation Prize Universal Biotech Conference Paris 2011
F1000 Prime
Recommended by Wolfgang Jahnke, July 2013 (Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel)
"I was surprised that a compound exists with such properties, but I am also convinced of the data. It will be interesting to see the performance of the component in clinical trials..."
https://facultyopinions.com/prime/718021753#1
PEP Award 2014 in the category „Early stage start-up projects“
The PEP Promotor-program of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research is awarding the innovative start-up team for the development of a drug candidate for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
https://www.baypat.de/news/award-for-innovative-start-up-modag
