About GeNeuro
Science-first, patient-driven
GeNeuro was founded on the conviction that understanding the root cause of disease — not just its symptoms — is the only path to transformative medicine. We are a team of scientists, clinicians, and entrepreneurs united by a singular mission: to harness the biology of human endogenous retroviruses to change the course of neurological and autoimmune disease.
Our story
GeNeuro was spun out of the Institut Mérieux in 2006, building on decades of foundational HERV research by Professor Hervé Perron and colleagues. The company was founded with a clear hypothesis: that HERV-W envelope protein, reactivated by environmental triggers, is a causal driver of multiple sclerosis and related diseases.
Since then, GeNeuro has advanced temelimab (GNbAC1) through multiple clinical trials, generating the first human evidence that targeting HERV proteins can reduce neuroinflammation and protect brain tissue. In May 2026, the Company was reorganized by order of the Swiss Courts and reincorporated in the United States. Today, the company is expanding its platform across four disease areas: MS, ALS, Psychosis, and Type 1 Diabetes.
What drives us
Our values
Science above all
Every decision begins with the data. We follow the evidence, even when it challenges our assumptions.
Patient urgency
The diseases we target have no cures. We move with the urgency that patients and families deserve.
Rigorous transparency
We publish our data, share our setbacks, and hold ourselves to the highest standards of scientific integrity.
Collaborative ambition
The HERV hypothesis is bigger than any one company. We actively partner with academia, industry, and patient communities.
Leadership
Management team
Jonathan C. Javitt, MD, MPH
Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Javitt is a physician-scientist and entrepreneur with a distinguished record in drug development, health policy, and translational medicine. He leads GeNeuro's strategic direction and clinical programs.
Riccardo Panicucci, Ph.D.
Chief Technology Officer
Dr. Panicucci oversees GeNeuro's technology platform, antibody development, and translational research programs, bringing deep expertise in biopharmaceutical science and drug discovery.
Michael Taylor
Chief Financial Officer
Michael leads GeNeuro's financial strategy, investor relations, and corporate development, drawing on extensive experience in biotech finance and capital markets.
Sarah Kwartler, Ph.D.
Assistant to the CEO
Dr. Kwartler supports executive operations and strategic initiatives, contributing scientific expertise to GeNeuro's leadership team.
Scientific advisory board
Arnold Levine, Ph.D.
Chair
Professor Emeritus at the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton. Co-discoverer of the p53 tumor suppressor protein in 1979, Dr. Levine is a widely acclaimed leader in cancer biology, genomics, and signal transduction. Member of the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Medicine; recipient of the American Cancer Society Medal of Honor.
Avindra Nath, M.D.
Co-Chair, ALS
Clinical Director and Senior Investigator at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), NIH. Dr. Nath's laboratory demonstrated that HERV-K (HML-2) is activated in ALS patients and that its envelope protein is neurotoxic to motor neurons — foundational work underpinning GeNeuro's GNK-301 program. He is also a co-inventor on GeNeuro's NIH/NINDS CRADA patents.
Marion Leboyer, MD, Ph.D.
Co-Chair, Psychiatry
Professor of Psychiatry at Henri-Mondor Hospital and Université Paris-Est Créteil; Director of the Translational Neuropsychiatry laboratory (INSERM Unit 955). Recipient of the 2021 INSERM Grand Prize, Dr. Leboyer has pioneered the immunopsychiatry field, demonstrating the role of HERV activation and immune dysregulation in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Founder of the FondaMental Foundation.