Background

Fission Bio is a pre-seed drug discovery platform focused on developing innovative treatments for chronic inflammation and neurodegenerative diseases. Its lead program targets pathological mitochondrial fission, through inhibiting DRP1-FIS1 interaction, using P110 mimetics derived from 13 years of research.

Cerebrum DAO has funded the initial phase of the research from hit identification to in-vitro testing with $200,000. The MITY IPT round secured funding for the lead identification and in-vivo testing, derisking the future  seed round. The proprietary Fission Bio IP portfolio covers compounds with distinct pharmacokinetic profiles for brain and peripheral indications.


Fission Bio’s first-in-class brain-penetrant small molecule is targeting the $53B neurodegeneration market and could be extended to $200 billion through partnerships and internal development pipelines.

Commercial Potential

The market for neurodegenerative disease treatments exceeds $200 billion. Fission Bio will build a pipeline of CNS, peripheral, and tissue-restricted compounds, focusing internally on rare diseases like ALS and HD, while partnering with pharma for larger indications.

Unlike NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitors, which risk immunosuppression with long-term use, Fission’s DRP1-FIS1 inhibitors act independently of cytokines. Recent exits and funding rounds in the NLRP3 space — such as IFM Therapeutics ($2.8B acquisition by BMS) and Ventyx Biosciences ($2.1B IPO) — show strong market interest in this area.

Milestones

We are screening the Enamine REAL library (48 billion structures) for potential hits that bind the DRP1-FIS1 protein-protein interaction groove. These hits are filtered for drug-like properties and problematic functional groups are removed with a series of filters (PAINS and Brenk filters). The library design was biased toward drugs with BBB penetrant compound-like properties.

Milestone 1: Pilot Study

We are screening the Enamine REAL library (48 billion structures) for potential hits that bind the DRP1-FIS1 protein-protein interaction groove. These hits are filtered for drug-like properties and problematic functional groups are removed with a series of filters (PAINS and Brenk filters). The library design was biased toward drugs with BBB penetrant compound-like properties.

Milestone 2: Primary Screen (Pharmaron)

We are screening the Enamine REAL library (48 billion structures) for potential hits that bind the DRP1-FIS1 protein-protein interaction groove. These hits are filtered for drug-like properties and problematic functional groups are removed with a series of filters (PAINS and Brenk filters). The library design was biased toward drugs with BBB penetrant compound-like properties.

Highlights

- P110, a proof of concept peptide inhibitor for DRP1-FIS1 interaction, shows efficacy and no toxicity in many age-related disease models. 13 years of research, 11 disease models, and 20 publications on P110.

- The founder has developed SC9, a P110-mimetic small molecule showing efficacy in vitro and in vivo.

- These compounds act via a novel mechanism of action and target site.

- “Pipeline in a pill” with 3 major classes of compounds targeting different tissues.

- CerebrumDAO will own composition of matter patents on compounds discovered.

Senior Review

All the evaluators considered this project worthy of endorsement. The background science is solid, validated in mouse disease models, and the company has made significant progress with new team additions and a focused strategy for drug development. There is a clear unmet need in ALS and broader applications to age-related diseases and longevity. The project’s rare disease focus presents a feasible first step, with a more straightforward path to IP. While still early stage and involving risks — particularly around the use of computational chemistry for compound screening and uncertainty about human translation — the risk/reward profile is attractive given the strong survival data and large market potential for neurodegenerative diseases. CerebrumDAO is encouraged to stay actively involved to support milestone achievement.