Tevard Biosciences was founded by renowned MIT molecular cell biologist Professor Harvey Lodish, along with Daniel Fischer and Warren Lammert, parents of children with Dravet syndrome, with the goal of developing novel gene therapy approaches to cure this and many other types of genetic diseases.
Tevard (tā-vərd)
reversing Dravet…
Setting out to find revolutionary approaches to cure patients with Dravet, Harvey, together with the research labs of Professors Jeff Coller and Chris Ahern, invented two unique tRNA-based gene therapy platforms that could cure not only Dravet, but many other rare diseases caused by haploinsufficiency and/or nonsense mutations.
Dravet syndrome is a rare and severe form of epilepsy that affects approximately 1 in 16,000 individuals. In 85% of cases, Dravet is caused by a loss-of-function mutation in one copy (haploinsufficiency) of the SCN1A gene. Over 20% of Dravet causing mutations are premature stop codons, causing production of a nonfunctional protein fragment.
Due to its large size, the SCN1A gene cannot be delivered by common viral vectors, and if overexpressed, can have deleterious effects. Therefore, Dravet—like many other genetic diseases—is not amenable to traditional gene therapy approaches.
We have developed two unique tRNA-based gene therapies with the potential to provide durable cures for many rare diseases.
For diseases caused by haploinsufficiency – By using a viral vector to overexpress a unique combination of endogenous or mutated tRNAs in targeted cells, we increase the amount of protein produced by the wild-type (functional) copy of the specific gene to its normal level by increasing the stability and thus the half-life of its mRNA.
For diseases caused by nonsense mutations – By using a viral vector to express a patented tRNA in targeted cells, we repair the bad copy of the gene by inserting the normal amino acid at the site of the premature stop codon, generating a normal functional protein.
Our lead CNS indication is Dravet syndrome, for which we are currently pursuing a dual approach: mRNA Stabilization to increase expression of the healthy copy of SCN1A and Codon Suppression to correct the faulty copy of the gene (when mutations create premature stop codons).
Closely following our Dravet program , we are developing cures for other genetic epilepsies and CNS indications.
Beyond CNS we are also pursuing non-CNS indications caused by haploinsufficiency and/or nonsense mutations.
An estimated 300 to 1000 diseases are caused by haploinsufficiency, where a single functional copy of a gene is insufficient for normal function, and 1800 diseases are the result of nonsense mutations, in total, affecting millions of patients world-wide.
Tevard has assembled a team of scientific, clinical, and industry leaders to drive tRNA gene therapies to patients in a timeframe that matters.
Co-Founder, Chair of the SAB, and Board Member
Co-Founder, President and CEO, Board Member
Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board
Scientific Advisor
Scientific Advisor
Scientific Co-Founder, Scientific Advisor
Scientific Advisor
Scientific Advisor
Advisor
Scientific Advisor, Board Member
Scientific Advisor
Board Member
Board Member
Principal Scientist
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. and EMERYVILLE, Calif., Dec. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Tevard Biosciences, a privately-held biotechnology company pioneering tRNA-based gene therapies, and Zogenix (Nasdaq: ZGNX), a global biopharmaceutical company developing and commercializing rare disease therapies, today announced that the companies have entered into a collaboration to identify and develop novel tRNA-based gene therapies for Dravet syndrome and other genetic epilepsies. Read More
Photo Caption: Shared laboratory space at LabCentral in Kendall Square Cambridge, Massachusetts Boston-based startups Tevard Biosciences and QurAlis announced as winners of the Pfizer Neuroscience Golden Ticket Program In June 2018, Pfizer Kendall Square opened a call for interested U.S. startup companies focused on neuroscience to submit non-confidential proposals for a Pfizer-sponsored LabCentral “Golden […]
At Tevard we are looking for highly-qualified and passionate professionals to join our team. As a member of our team you will become a part of our mission to develop novel tRNA-based gene therapies to transform patients’ and families’ lives.
For career related inquiries please contact us at careers@tevard.com