The company was formerly known as Cortexyme, Inc. and changed its name to Quince Therapeutics, Inc. in August 2022.
Cortexyme Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that specializes in developing treatments for degenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. The company’s primary focus is on developing drugs that target the underlying causes of Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions. Cortexyme’s most advanced drug candidate, COR388, is a small molecule designed to inhibit the production of the toxic protein, gingipains, which is thought to be a root cause of Alzheimer's.
Cortexyme was founded in 2012 by Dr. Stephen Dominy and Casey Lynch, a pair of veteran entrepreneurs in the biotech and tech industries. The company is based in South San Francisco, California, and has grown to a team of more than 80 employees, including scientists, researchers, and business professionals.
The company’s proprietary platform, known as the “COR platform,” is a system for identifying and targeting pathogenic bacteria that contribute to the development of neurodegenerative diseases. Cortexyme's drug development strategy is based on this platform and the company has several drug candidates in preclinical development.
In addition to its work on Alzheimer’s disease, Cortexyme is also exploring the potential of its platform to address other diseases associated with chronic infections, such as Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions.
Cortexyme has received significant attention and investment from the biotech industry, including a $76 million Series B funding round in 2018. In March 2021, the company reported promising results from a Phase 2/3 clinical trial of COR388 in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, which supported the potential efficacy of the drug.