Cambria Biosciences

Cambria Biosciences was a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of small molecule therapeutics for neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases. The company utilized a proprietary drug discovery platform based on C. elegans (nematode) models to conduct high-throughput phenotypic screening in a whole-animal context. This approach allowed the company to identify compounds that could modify complex disease pathways and cross the blood-brain barrier early in the discovery process. Their primary research efforts were directed toward Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), specifically targeting the aggregation of the SOD1 protein. In 2010, its pharmaceutical spin-off, Cambria Pharmaceuticals, was acquired by Novartis to advance its ALS drug candidates.