TikoMed

About TikoMed

TikoMed AB is a privately-owned Swedish biopharmaceutical firm established in 2002 by the Bruce family, with Lars and Adam Bruce being instrumental co-founders. Lars Bruce, an inventor with a background in mechanics, metallurgy, and medicine, serves as the Chief Scientific Officer and leads the company's research and development program. Adam Bruce, who has extensive experience in pharmaceutical and medical device innovation, is the company's CEO and Chairman.

The company focuses on developing and commercializing treatments for severe neurological and ophthalmic diseases where there is a significant unmet medical need. TikoMed's business model is to advance its drug candidates through early clinical trials to establish a "Proof of Concept". Following this, the company aims to form partnerships with larger pharmaceutical corporations for late-stage development, commercialization, and distribution, or to exit via a trade sale. The company has secured approximately $14.7 million in funding over two Series A rounds in 2019 and 2020 to support its clinical programs.

TikoMed's core asset is its proprietary drug platform centered on a low molecular weight dextran sulfate compound known as ILB®. This platform is designed to harness the body's innate self-repair and regenerative capabilities. The mechanism of action involves mobilizing, redistributing, and modulating endogenous heparin-binding growth factors. This process initiates a cascade of effects that control glutamate toxicity, normalize tissue bioenergetics, and resolve inflammation, thereby protecting and repairing neurons. This approach has potential applications across various acute and chronic neurodegenerative diseases.

The lead clinical program is for ILB® in the treatment of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Multiple Phase II clinical trials have been conducted to evaluate its safety and efficacy. A trial completed in July 2024 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, UK, demonstrated that long-term weekly injections were well-tolerated with an acceptable safety profile in ALS patients. The company is now planning for a larger multi-centre Phase IIb efficacy trial. Besides ALS, TikoMed's pipeline has also included the IBsolvMIR® platform, aimed at improving outcomes in cell transplantation therapies, such as for brittle diabetes.