MELISA Institute

​

We are a biotechnology research institution striving for the development of health solutions for people with a special focus on maternal and fetal health, human reproduction, and women’s health. 

​

MELISA integrates diverse areas of human life sciences including basic sciences, epidemiology, and clinical medicine. The institution’s core capabilities include: advanced research in proteogenomics and the development and manufacturing of medical products with diagnostic or therapeutic applications. In addition, MELISA Institute is interested in investigating social, economical, and biological determinants of health at the population level.

​

MELISA’s lead investigational therapy, Previfenon®️ (EGCG purified from Camelia sinensis, stabilized and complexed with zinc) is currently being developed as a potential prenatal therapeutic agent for trisomy 21 during the third trimester of pregnancy. It is directed at inhibiting the overdose of DYRK1A to enable an improvement in neurodevelopment after birth. In addition, because EGCG and zinc show important immunomodulatory and antiviral effects, Previfenon is currently being investigated as a broad spectrum chemoprophylaxis method to prevent and control the impact of epidemics caused by emergent viruses such as SARS-CoV-2.