Medicines for Mitochondrial Diseases
Mitondra is a discovery-stage company pioneering novel therapies that restore mitochondrial health. Our focus is on developing first-in-class small-molecules that stimulate mitophagy, the body’s natural process for dealing with mitochondrial dysfunction.
About Mitondra
Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a central role in a range of diseases, including cancer, neurodegenerative and age-related disorders.
By enhancing mitophagy, Mitondra aims to target diseases at their root cause, offering a new therapeutic strategy with the potential to transform patient outcomes.
Backed by cutting-edge science and a commitment to mitochondrial medicine, Mitondra is leading the charge toward a healthier, more resilient future- cell by cell.
Team
Dr. Youcef Mehellou
Founder and CEO
Youcef is a drug hunter with over 20 years’ experience discovering and progressing small-molecule therapeutics. He graduated in Pharmacy from King’s College London and completed a PhD in drug discovery at Cardiff University, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at Arizona State University and an MRC Career Development Fellowship at the University of Dundee. Youcef brings deep expertise in Parkinson’s disease, cancer and infectious diseases, and has led programmes that delivered experimental drugs that have been licensed to pharma. He also collaborates with biotech and pharmaceutical partners and previously helped apply a drug discovery technology that underpinned three FDA-approved medicines.
Dr. Rhodri Turner
Director
Rhodri has over 15 years’ experience in research commercialisation. He holds a BSc in Biochemistry (University of Bath) and a PhD in Cancer Immunology (Cardiff University). Rhod leads Cardiff University’s Research Commercialisation Team, overseeing intellectual property, licensing and spinout formation, with a focus on biomedical and healthcare innovation. He has served on internal and external funding and innovation panels and has represented Cardiff University on the boards of more than 10 spinout companies.
Henry Chamberlain
Financial Advisor
Henry is an experienced company builder and investor with expertise in venture capital, fundraising, M&A, SPACs and IPOs. He previously served as an Investment Manager at IBIS Capital and VGC Partners, investing across public and private funds. He remains Investment Adviser to ten SPVs, seven of which have achieved IPOs or exits to private equity or trade buyers. Henry has made multiple investments in biotech and medtech companies, including one Nasdaq-listed and two pre-IPO businesses. He holds an MA from the University of Edinburgh, FINRA Series 7, 63, 24 and 65 licences, and is FCA authorised in the UK.
Dr. Yassine Bendiabdellah
Scientific Advisor
Yassine is a biotech executive and functional medicine specialist with experience spanning drug discovery, clinical practice, and global healthcare operations. He holds a PhD in Medicinal Chemistry from University College London and an MPharm from King’s College London. He is Founder and CEO of Zen Healthcare, an international group of pharmacies, clinics, and longevity centres across the UK and Middle East. He co-founded Pasithea Therapeutics (Nasdaq), serving as COO and UK Clinics Director, and is Chair and now Non-Executive Director of Genflow Biosciences (LSE).
Science
PINK1 and Mitophagy
The mitochondrial kinase PINK1 is a master sensor of mitochondrial damage, initiating the quality-control process that decides which mitochondria are cleared and which are preserved. When mitochondrial function falls, PINK1 accumulates and switches on a signalling cascade that flags damaged organelles for removal through mitophagy, protecting cells from energetic failure and toxic stress.
Therapeutic Rationale & Market Opportunity
In many high-value disease areas, this PINK1 pathway is impaired or overwhelmed. Damaged mitochondria then accumulate, and cells progressively fail. This shared biology is increasingly implicated in age-related diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and many types of cancer. Together, these indications represent large, growing markets with significant unmet medical need.
Mitondra's Solution: Proprietary Activators
Building on Dr. Mehellou’s pioneering work on PINK1 activators, Mitondra has already discovered a series of proprietary, small-molecule PINK1 activators with potency comparable to, and in some cases exceeding, benchmark industry and published compounds in our assays. These molecules robustly activate PINK1 and drive mitophagy, providing an advanced starting point rather than a theoretical concept.
Disease Modification & Platform Advantage
This PINK1-first approach is inherently disease-modifying, aiming at a root energetic defect rather than late downstream symptoms. Coupled with clear pharmacodynamic readouts of PINK1 activation and mitophagy in disease models and humans, Mitondra offers a de-risked, scalable platform for first-in-class PINK1 activators across multiple diseases that are driven by mitochondrial dysfunction.
PINK1 and Mitophagy
The mitochondrial kinase PINK1 is a master sensor of mitochondrial damage, initiating the quality-control process that decides which mitochondria are cleared and which are preserved. When mitochondrial function falls, PINK1 accumulates and switches on a signalling cascade that flags damaged organelles for removal through mitophagy, protecting cells from energetic failure and toxic stress.
Mitondra's Solution: Proprietary Activators
Building on Dr. Mehellou’s pioneering work on PINK1 activators, Mitondra has already discovered a series of proprietary, small-molecule PINK1 activators with potency comparable to, and in some cases exceeding, benchmark industry and published compounds in our assays. These molecules robustly activate PINK1 and drive mitophagy, providing an advanced starting point rather than a theoretical concept.
Science
Therapeutic Rationale & Market Opportunity
In many high-value disease areas, this PINK1 pathway is impaired or overwhelmed. Damaged mitochondria then accumulate, and cells progressively fail. This shared biology is increasingly implicated in age-related diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and many types of cancer. Together, these indications represent large, growing markets with significant unmet medical need.
Disease Modification & Platform Advantage
This PINK1-first approach is inherently disease-modifying, aiming at a root energetic defect rather than late downstream symptoms. Coupled with clear pharmacodynamic readouts of PINK1 activation and mitophagy in disease models and humans, Mitondra offers a de-risked, scalable platform for first-in-class PINK1 activators across multiple diseases that are driven by mitochondrial dysfunction.
Contact
Dr. Youcef Mehellou
Founder and CEO