Overview

CoMentis is a biotech company focused on the research and development of small molecule drugs to treat neurovascular diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and other cognitive disorders. Originally founded in 2004 as Athenagen, Inc., the company was re-named CoMentis following its August 2006 merger with Zapaq, Inc., which created a leading neurovascular disease franchise.

Zapaq was founded in 2001 by Jordan Tang, Ph.D., of the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, and Arun Ghosh, Ph.D., now at Purdue University, both experts in the field of aspartic proteases. Dr. Tang's groundbreaking discovery of beta-secretase, an aspartic protease which is a critical enzyme in beta amyloid production and the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2000.

Athenagen, was founded by two scientists from Stanford University, John Cooke, MD PhD and M. (Ken) Kengatharan, PhD, to develop therapies based on the nAChR angiogenesis pathway. In April 2006 Athenagen acquired Osprey Pharmaceuticals, including its oral compound GTS-21 for cognitive disorders.

The company raised $7 million in a Series A financing round in September 2005, $50 million in Series B in September 2006 and $12 million in Series C in October 2007. Investors include Sanderling Ventures, Charter Life Sciences, Clarus Ventures, Index Ventures, Astellas Venture Capital L.L.C., and a large Boston based money management firm.