NeuroSense featuring the CEO

“The most rewarding aspect of leading NeuroSense is hearing how we have improved people’s lives” – Alon Ben-Noon, CEO

Reaching the moon has proven easier than developing an effective treatment for ALS. The statistics speak for themselves. Yet despite the odds, we are closer than ever. Since a young age, I knew I wanted to make a positive impact in the world. I started my career in various positions in the pharmaceutical industry, eventually leading to the establishment of a consultancy firm that worked with dozens of biotech companies. In 2016, I founded NeuroSense Therapeutics with one main goal: to develop an effective treatment for people living with ALS. And now, just 8 years later, we are concluding a multinational Phase 2b clinical trial with great results and a very promising therapy.

The pivotal moment that drove me to found NeuroSense was meeting Shay Rishoni, the CEO of Prize4Life, and a remarkable individual battling ALS. Sitting beside him in his home, I was profoundly struck by his sharp mind and his ability to communicate fluently through computer software, despite being completely paralysed. Our conversation was engaging and deeply impactful, revealing the strength of his spirit in the face of immense challenges. Shay never directly asked me to take action, but his condition and unwavering determination ignited a fire within me to address the critical lack of treatment options for those living with ALS. Leveraging my network, connections, and expertise as the CEO of a consultancy firm, I teamed up with brilliant scientists to identify the key pathological pathways and the molecules that could target them. This mission became my driving force, turning a moment of connection into a movement for change.

We discovered two molecules that worked synergistically on several targets, leading to the development of a potential treatment. Around this time, I met Ariel Gordon, whose wife was, and still is, battling ALS. Ariel, along with Dr. Niva Russek-Blum, were screening molecules in a zebrafish model. They offered to test our product, and the results were outstanding.

Inspired by these findings, I shared the exciting news with Shay, letting him know we had a promising treatment in development. We named it PrimeC in his honor – “Prime” translating to Rishoni in Hebrew, and “C” representing the combination of molecules that drive the treatment’s effectiveness. This name not only reflects the synergistic nature of the treatment, but also pays tribute to the profound impact Shay had on our mission.

Since founding NeuroSense, we have broadened our focus to develop treatments for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, driven by our discovery of the shared pathological pathways among these diseases.

Though we face developmental challenges, we overcome them through creativity and perseverance. Even through adversities like COVID-19, what drives the team and I is the understanding that our challenges are minor compared to what people living with ALS face. This perspective fuels our determination to push forward and find innovative solutions, knowing our efforts are for those battling fatal diseases.

The most rewarding aspect of leading NeuroSense is hearing how we have improved people’s lives. Hearing clinicians say that our studies have the best outcomes is incredibly motivating. It’s a clear indication that we are working in the right direction.

If you are an aspiring entrepreneur in the biotech or pharmaceutical industry, my advice is that if you believe in what you are developing, never give up. There will be some difficult times, but it is important to continue and push forward. Find your way, find your creative solutions, and find good people to work with- specifically those with talent, intelligence, motivation, and an eagerness to learn.

What excites me about NeuroSense is the dedicated team, the innovative product we’re developing, the strategic path we’ve chosen, our resilience during difficult times, and our strong relationship with the community. All these elements fill me with energy every day.

In the future, I envision NeuroSense growing significantly. Our primary goal is to bring PrimeC to market, which will require expanding our team with more talented individuals who share our values. We will also work hard to develop additional products for ALS and other neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. Given the complexity and severity of ALS, we recognize that while PrimeC has great potential to slow disease progression, it is not the ultimate solution. Our long-term aim is to develop a drug that can either reverse ALS or stop its progression entirely, allowing people to live life to the fullest after diagnosis.

We’ll make what seems impossible today possible in the future, with time, creativity, dedication, and collaboration. Just as reaching the moon once seemed impossible, but became a reality through determination and innovation, we are steadfast in our journey to achieve the same for ALS—turning what seems unreachable today into tomorrow’s success.