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Amporin is developing the first class of oral small-molecule drugs designed to target toxic membrane pores formed by misfolded protein oligomers across multiple degenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Type 2 diabetes, and numerous rare disorders.

These toxic pores create an ionic short circuit across cell and mitochondrial membranes, driving uncontrolled calcium influx, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and progressive cell death.

By protecting and repairing vital cellular membranes, rescuing mitochondria, and restoring function and homeostasis in stressed but still viable cells, we aim to deliver the first disease-modifying treatments that slow or halt disease progression while enabling rapid functional recovery across multiple major degenerative diseases, starting with Parkinson’s disease.

Company

Amporin is a Swiss biotech company founded in Basel in 2024 to develop the first generation of pore-targeting medicines for degenerative diseases. Our mission is to establish toxic membrane pores as a new class of therapeutic targets and deliver the first pore-targeting therapies that slow or halt disease progression and enable rapid functional recovery in multiple degenerative diseases. Our experienced leadership team brings together decades of experience and expertise in neuroscience, CNS drug discovery, translational medicine, and preclinical and clinical drug development.

Science

Many degenerative diseases are associated with toxic membrane pores formed by misfolded protein oligomers in cell and mitochondrial membranes. These pores create an ionic short circuit through the membranes, causing uncontrolled calcium influx, chronic cellular and oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, loss of homeostasis, and progressive cell death and degeneration. Toxic membrane pores represent a common pathogenic mechanism that links protein misfolding to mitochondrial dysfunction and cellular degeneration across multiple diseases.

Strategy

Amporin's therapeutic strategy is to target the toxic membrane pores that directly drive cellular dysfunction and degeneration, rather than the misfolded protein oligomers that create them. By repairing the membrane damage caused by these pores and restoring membrane integrity, we aim to stop uncontrolled calcium influx, relieve chronic cellular stress, rescue mitochondrial function, and restore cellular function and homeostasis in viable but dysfunctional cells. This therapeutic approach creates the potential for rapid functional recovery in the earlier stages of disease, while slowing or halting disease progression at more advanced stages.

Pipeline

Amporin currently has three early drug discovery programs in Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and Type 2 diabetes based on its proprietary drug platform. Our lead program targets toxic pores formed by α-synuclein oligomers in Parkinson's disease, while our Alzheimer's and diabetes programs are now available for partnering or licensing. Beyond these initial programs, our three pore-targeting platforms create the opportunity to develop a much broader pipeline of therapies for ALS, PSP, FTD, Huntington's disease, and other degenerative diseases.

Partnering

Amporin is currently seeking licensing and co-development partners for its Alzheimer's disease and Type 2 diabetes programs, while also welcoming opportunities for research collaborations and strategic investment. We believe toxic membrane pores represent a major new therapeutic target class with the potential to transform the treatment of multiple degenerative diseases. We are seeking partners who share our ambition to help bring a new generation of pore-targeting therapies to patients.