Replicon Neuro Therapeutics

Replicon Neuro Therapeutics was a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapeutic applications of replicons—modified, non-infectious RNA-based vectors derived from poliovirus—to treat central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Founded in 1997 as a spin-off from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), the company's lead programs targeted primary and metastatic brain tumors, such as malignant glioma, by leveraging the oncolytic properties of the replicons. The technology was designed to cross the blood-brain barrier and selectively infect and destroy tumor cells while sparing healthy tissue. Despite receiving venture capital and SBIR funding in the early 2000s, the company appears to have ceased operations by the mid-2000s.