Helios Inc. (ヘリオス株式会社, Heriosu Kabushiki-gaisha) is a Japanese biotechnology company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, focused on developing innovative therapies for neurodegenerative diseases through a combination of small molecule drugs and regenerative medicine approaches. The company was founded in 2015 and has developed a pipeline targeting Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and other central nervous system disorders.
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Stock Ticker | TSE 4595 |
| Headquarters | Tokyo, Japan |
| Founded | 2015 |
| CEO | Yoshiro Miyazaki |
| Website | https://www.helios.co.jp/ |
| IPO | Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth Market (2019) |
Helios Inc. was established in 2015 by a team of researchers from the University of Tokyo and Tokyo Institute of Technology, combining expertise in medicinal chemistry, neurobiology, and stem cell biology. The company's name reflects its mission to bring "light" (helios = sun in Greek) to patients suffering from neurodegenerative diseases.
The company went public on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth Market in 2019, using the proceeds to expand its drug discovery pipeline and clinical development programs.
Helios focuses on several key areas:
Helios employs a rational drug design approach:
The company also has a cell therapy program:
As of 2024, Helios has the following pipeline:
| Drug Candidate | Indication | Stage | Mechanism |
|---|---|---|---|
| HEL-101 | Alzheimer's disease | Phase 1 | Tau aggregation inhibitor |
| HEL-201 | Parkinson's disease | Preclinical | Alpha-synuclein inhibitor |
| HEL-301 | ALS | Discovery | SOD1 aggregation inhibitor |
| HEL-401 | Alzheimer's disease | Discovery | Neurotrophic factor inducer |
HEL-101 is a tau aggregation inhibitor that has completed Phase 1 clinical trials in Japan. The compound showed favorable safety and pharmacokinetics in healthy volunteers, and plans are underway for Phase 2 trials in Alzheimer's disease patients.
The mechanism involves binding to tau protein fibrils and preventing their propagation, potentially slowing disease progression rather than just treating symptoms.
Helios has established several pharmaceutical partnerships: