HAON are a biotech developing a novel cell therapy, initially for a devastating paediatric disease, which causes 22% of global neonatal death and 30% of cerebral palsy. The disease in question is HIE (hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy) where a lack of oxygen and blood flow at the time of birth causes severe brain injury. The current standard of care is therapeutic hyperthermia (cooling) which has a very limited impact.

In large animal preclinical models of neonatal brain injury, Can-Vas-001 has shown to be neuroprotective and significantly improved outcomes.

A number of HAON’s preclinical findings are translatable to a host of neurodegenerative diseases which opens up multiple early pharma partnering opportunities.