Adam Rogers, MD
CEO, NervGen Pharma Corp
Abstract
NervGen Pharma: Enabling the Nervous System to Repair Itself
NervGen Pharma Corp. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing neuroreparative therapeutics for spinal cord injury (SCI) and other neurotraumatic and neurologic conditions. NervGen’s lead candidate, NVG-291, is a 35 amino acid peptide originating from the pioneering research of Dr. Jerry Silver, who identified chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) and their primary receptor, protein tyrosine phosphatase sigma (PTPσ), as key inhibitors of neural repair after central nervous system trauma. NVG-291 mimics the CSPG binding sequence to PTPσ, rendering neurons insensitive to CSPG-mediated inhibition, enabling the nervous system to repair itself.
NVG-291 was evaluated as a daily subcutaneous injection administered for 12 weeks in the Phase 1b/2a CONNECT SCI study, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 20 individuals with chronic cervical motor incomplete SCI (1-10 years post injury; mean, 3.5 years). At week 12, the NVG-291 treated group (n=10) demonstrated clinically meaningful improvement in function, independence, and quality of life compared to placebo (n=10). NVG-291 treated participants experienced an 825% mean observed improvement in functional hand use (GRASSP Quantitative Prehension), and 102% mean observed improvement in GRASSP Total Score, reflecting gains across upper-limb strength, sensation, and prehension. Functional benefits were durable beyond 12-weeks active dosing, as evidenced at the Week 16 evaluation, and through blinded qualitative exit interviews conducted up to 364 days post-study (range, 9-364 days; mean, 265 days). The interviews confirmed durable, wide-ranging upper and lower-limb improvements, with NVG-291 participants reporting greater daily independence and activity, versus placebo. Sustained benefits included improved bladder control, reduced muscle spasticity, and decreased reliance on medications or mobility aids versus placebo. The biological basis for recovery was supported by statistically significant improvements in upper-limb corticospinal signaling (p=0.0155), measured via motor evoked potential (MEP) amplitude, and statistically significant reductions in hyperactive reticulospinal signaling in the upper (p=0.0280) and lower-limbs (p=0.0062), measured via Startle-React MEP amplitude.
Bio
Adam Rogers, MD is the Interim CEO and Board Chair of NervGen Pharma Corp., developing NVG-291, a daily subcutaneous therapy for the treatment of neurotrauma. Dr. Rogers co-founded Hemera Biosciences (2010), a gene therapy-focused biotech company targeting dry age-related macular degeneration. He assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer (2017) and led Hemera’s clinical trials until assets were acquired by Johnson & Johnson in December 2020.
Dr. Rogers earned a B.A. from Emory College and an M.D. from Emory University School of Medicine, followed by residency training in ophthalmology at Boston University Medical Center. He completed his vitreoretinal fellowship at Tufts-New England Eye Center where he remained on staff as an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology until 2020. Dr. Rogers has authored 29 peer reviewed publications and co authored two textbooks, as well as numerous chapters in leading ophthalology textbooks.
