Juan Manuel Corchado Rodríguez, director of the BISITE Research Group and president of AIR Institute, has joined Neurofix Pharma as an independent advisor. Neurofix Pharma is a biotech company that has developed a pioneering drug capable of alleviating the neuropathic pain suffered by people with paraplegia.

Neurofix Pharma was founded in 2015 and is based in the Science Park of the University of Salamanca. Its CEO and managing director is Miguel Ángel Ávila Santiago (Salamanca, 1983). The company is currently developing the first drug capable of alleviating the neuropathic pain suffered by people with paraplegia. It has just successfully completed phase IIA of the clinical trial and is about to commence the next milestone, phase IIB/III (only 5 other companies in history have managed to reach this stage in Spain and none in Castilla y León), prior to the launch of the drug on the market.

Neurofix is also in the Pre-Market Environment (EpM) of the BME Growth (the only company from Castile and Leon included in it) and its current valuation is 22 million euros. The company obtained the best mark in Spain of the NEOTEC line by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness in 2017, has received 4 seals of excellence by the European Union in the Horizon line and is registered as a European SME and Innovative SME. In addition, it has received support from Iberaval, ICO, Enisa, the Institute for Business Competitiveness (ICE) of the Junta of Castile and Leon and the University of Salamanca, among other public and private organizations.

It is undoubtedly an honor to be part of Neurofix Pharma as an independent advisor. About seven years ago Neurofix Pharma joined the Science Park of the University of Salamanca and ever since then a lot of effort and dedication has been put into getting where they are now. We are sure of the success that awaits them and the role they play in the world of biotechnology, which will greatly benefit Salamanca and its economic and business development.

What does Neurofix Pharma do?

Neurofix Pharma SA’s mission is to develop new treatments for neurological diseases. Its most advanced molecule is NFX88, which has just successfully completed its Phase IIA clinical trial. It has thus become one of the eight Spanish companies that currently have a drug that has reached this clinical milestone, and the only one in Castile and León.

Pain caused by spinal cord injury, commonly known as neuropathic pain, is one of the most complex pathologies to treat in this field. It is an ailment that causes prickling, coldness, cramps, tingling and, sometimes, an unbearable burning sensation. Current treatments only manage to mask it, so they are ineffective and patients with paraplegia have to resort to drugs such as antidepressants, opiates and painkillers.

Posted by Juan M. Corchado

Juan Manuel Corchado (15 May 1971, Salamanca, Spain) is Professor at the University of Salamanca. He has been Vice-Rector for Research from 2013 to 2017 and Director of the Science Park of the University of Salamanca. Elected as Dean of the Faculty of Science twice, he holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Salamanca and a PhD in Artificial Intelligence from the University of the West of Scotland. He leads the renowned BISITE (Bioinformatics, Intelligent Systems and Educational Technology) Research Group, created in 2000. Director of the IoT Digital Innovation Hub and President of the AIR Institute, J. M. Corchado is also Visiting Professor at the Osaka Institute of Technology since January 2015, Visiting Professor at the Universiti Malaysia Kelantan and Member of the Advisory Group on Online Terrorist Propaganda of the European Counter Terrorism Centre (EUROPOL). J. M. Corchado has been president of the IEEE Systems, Man and Cybernetics Society, and academic coordinator of the University Institute for Research in Art and Animation Technology at the University of Salamanca, as well as researcher at the Universities of Paisley (UK), Vigo (Spain) and the Plymouth Marine Laboratory (UK). He currently combines all his activity with the direction of Master programmes in Security, Digital Animation, Mobile Telephony, Information Systems Management, Internet of Things, Social Media, 3D Design and Printing, Blockchain, Z System, Industry 4.0, Agile Project Management, and Smart Cities & Intelligent Buildings, at the University of Salamanca and his work as editor-in-chief of the journals ADCAIJ (Advances in Distributed Computing and Artificial Intelligence Journal), OJCST (Oriental Journal of Computer Science and Technology) or Electronics MDPI (Computer Science & Engineering section). J. M. Corchado mainly works on projects related to Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Blockchain, IoT, Fog Computing, Edge Computing, Smart Cities, Smart Grids and Sentiment Analysis. He has recently been included in the board of trustees of the AstraZeneca Foundation, along with other health professionals and researchers recognised for bringing scientific knowledge closer to society.