Fuel for brains
KetoSwiss
KetoSwiss is a privately held Swiss biotechnology company located in Basel, that develops a novel nutraceutical / medical food (“MigraKet”) for the dietary preventive therapy of higher-frequency migraines and possibly other related diseases characterized by a metabolic dysfunction (such as Alzheimer's Disease). The lead product’s active substance is an endogenous metabolite – a ketone body, which can be used by the brain as an alternative fuel to glucose, when glucose utilization or transport is compromised. Due to our modern carbohydrate-rich diets our brains rely almost exclusively on glucose. This can contribute to an energy-deficiency in the brain and in turn neurological diseases, such as migraine or Alzheimers, which are known to have a metabolic component to it. During fasting / glucose restriction our livers produce an alternative, more effective fuel source for the brain called ketone bodies. KetoSwiss strives to bring human identical ketone bodies back into our modern world. We develop potent, clinically tested, Swiss quality ketone body products (esp. medical foods) to combat neurological civilisation diseases.
In brief, KetoSwiss makes fuel for brains.
Product Development
KetoSwiss is bringing ketones back into the modern world, especially into the lives of neurological patients, with a novel approach: We produce them in the lab and give them on top of a (hopefully healthy) diet.
We have just finished the development of the fourth generation of products called MigraKet
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Because the key ingredient of MigraKet is a human identical metabolite, it is safe in the doses we recommend. The concept behind MigraKet as been awarded several prices, was recently published in Nature Neurology and it is also patent protected.
With MigraKet4 we can reach infusion-like ketone body levels with a single oral dose.
MigraKet4
12 h infusion-like therapeutic ketosis with a single oral dose
> 12 h sustained ketone body elevation in therapeutic levels (> 1 mmol/l) , that requires only two doses of KetoSwiss’ product to fuel the brain 24/7; development completed by Dec 2019; this version will be used in clinical trials;
AcAc= acetoacetate; BHB = Beta-hydroxybutyrate
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KetoSwiss is headquartered at the Technologie Park Basel, in Basel Switzerland, where the company is part of a dynamic scientific and entrepreneurial community composed of world-leading academic research laboratories, flourishing life sciences spin-offs and s world-leading biotech-startup-ecosystem. KetoSwiss enjoys broad access to state-of-the art infrastructure as well as laboratories to grow its operations.
Therapeutic Areas
Migraine
1 billion people in the world suffer from migraine. That makes it the most debilitation neurological disease and the third most common of all diseases and yet treatment options are limited and do not address the root causes.
Alzheimer's
1 in 3 seniors die from Alzheimer's dementia and its prevalence increases by 123% every year. In 2018 costs for society reached over 1 trillion $ and yet their are no treatment options, yet.
Management Team
Dr. Elena Gross
Founder & CEO/CSO
Dr. Elena Gross holds a BSc in Psychology (University of York), an MSc in Neuroscience (University of Oxford) a PhD (Dr. sc. med) in Clinical Research (University of Basel) and is currently enrolled to complete her MBA (University of Cambridge). She used to be a chronic migraine patient and founded KetoSwiss AG. She is the inventor of two patents.
Matthias Währen
Chief Financial Officer
Matthias Währen is ex-CFO & member of the Executive Committee of Givaudan SA for twelve years, previously Global Head of Finance at Roche Vitamin Division, Finance Director Roche USA, Roche Japan, Roche Korea (amongst others).
Dr. Sebastian Hersberger
Chief Operating Officer
Dr. Sebastian Hersberger holds a PhD in Financial Management and has more than ten years of experience working with companies on topics such as driving extensive and sustainable growth, designing and implementing business operations and effective operational & financial procedures
Board of Advisors
Peter Stähli
Business & Strategy Advisor
Founder of several startups and the Swiss Economic Forum (of which he was CEO until 2016). Moreover, Peter successfully advised several startups and owns a very strong national and international network.
Prof. Dr. Jan Schoenen
Scientific & Clinical Advisor
Former President of the International Headache So-ciety & Belgian Neurological Society, research Director, full Professor at Liège Uni-versity & Associate Editor of Cephalalgia. World expert on metabolism and migrai-ne, with over 908 publica-tions (H index: 56 after 1996), 92 book chapters & 4 books
Matthias Währen
Financial, Business & Strategy Adviser
Matthias Währen is ex-CFO & member of the Executive Committee of Givaudan SA for twelve years, previously Global Head of Finance at Roche Vitamin Division, Finance Director Roche USA, Roche Japan, Roche Korea (amongst others).
Dr. Zameel Cader
Strategic Advisor
Dr. Zameel Cader is cur-rently Head of the Oxford Translational Molecular Neu-roscience Group. He is a senior clinical academic researcher, with a track record in translational me-dical research.
He furthermore successfully lead large-scale academic/ industry partnerships with societal impact.
Dr. Thomas Beck
Business & Strategy Advisor
Dr. Thomas Beck was the former head of the Nestle research centre and is now head of R&D at DSM. He brings a wealth of experience in the supplement / nutraceutical and life s/ health sciences industry and an extensive network.
Daniel Lustenberger
Financial, Business & Strategy Advisor
Daniel Lustenberger is an experienced international finance, accounting and management consulting professional. He is a Swiss Certified Public Accountant, holds an Executive MBA from IMD and has 20 years life sciences and technology experience. Daniel is involved with several start-ups and growth companies, particularly in the life science and high technology sector as part-time CFO, business advisor or board member.
Dr. Egle B. Thomas
Business & Strategy Advisor
Dr. Egle B. Thomas has over 20 years of experience in business strategy, business development, and R&D project management in Europe and the US. She drove activities across nutrition, agricultural and related industries while at Syngenta as well as smaller companies. She serves on boards of companies and investment groups and advises startups in Europe and the US.
Outsourced Functions
Dr. Nicolas Mosimann
Legal
Dr. Philipp Marchand
Patent Issues
Sebastian Melchor
Complex Regulatory Affairs
Urs Santschi
Finance & Accounting
Investing / Partnering
While we are increasingly able to preserve the body, we have little tools to combat neurological diseases. Most brains are not designed to thrive on a modern western diet. KetoSwiss aims to reintroduce ketone bodies into modern life with an easily implemented solution.
Investing
KetoSwiss has developed a novel therapeutic for the dietary-preventive therapy of higher-frequency migraines and related diseases that are characterized by a metabolic dysfunction. We set out to become the market leader in the medical food area, while the product might be further developed into a drug – considering a multi-billion market opportunity.
KetoSwiss is equipped with a strong team and advisors from various backgrounds and benefits from more than a century of extensive healthcare experience.
Partnering
KetoSwiss embraces partnerships to advance the discovery and development of novel, innovative products for civilisation diseases with a metabolic component, especially neurological diseases.
We are convinced that combining ideas and resources with our partners will bring products to markets with unmet needs faster and more efficiently.
To find out more about upcoming investment and partnership opportunities, get in touch with us now.
