Developing oral drugs targeting damaging membrane pores in degenerative diseases
In Parkinson's disease, nerve cells progressively break down or die, causing movement problems. Slowness, stiffness and poor balance can make everyday tasks difficult. Medicines and surgery can ease symptoms, but the disease worsens over time and has no cure.
Amporin is developing oral small-molecule drugs to target damaging membrane pores and help preserve cell function. Its lead Parkinson's programme is at screening and hit identification; Alzheimer's and diabetes programmes are available for partnering.
What stands out about Amporin
Partnered with SynSmart to synthesize membrane-protecting molecules for early-stage drug discovery in degenerative diseases.
Reported CHF 250,000 in convertible loans from Venture Kick and Kickfund, separate from CHF 100,000 of founders' equity.
Formed a research collaboration with Prof. Zoya Leonenko at Waterloo to study pore inhibitors using electrophysiology and imaging.
Co-founder Daniel Umbricht was Global Head of Translational Medicine in Neuroscience at Roche and an associate psychiatry professor at Zurich.
Co-founder Hervé Schaffhauser is an in vitro neuropharmacologist who led CNS drug discovery and development from target validation into Phase 1.
Co-founders Kelvin Stott founded Senexis, a degenerative-disease biotech, and Daniel Umbricht founded the consultancy Xperimed.
Selected for Venture Leaders Biotech 2025 to represent Switzerland's biotech startups in its international development programme.
The Amporin founding project won third place in Health & Nutrition at the Venture 2022 competition, before its 2024 incorporation.
Co-founder Daniel Umbricht is a physician and former associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Zurich, with clinical practice experience.
Co-founders Kelvin Stott and Daniel Umbricht previously worked at Novartis, according to their official company biographies.
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