The Peripheral Nervous System group, led by Dr. Josep Gámez at the VHIR, obtained funding for two collaborative projects with the biotech industry, awarded by the National Program for Reseach, Development and Innovation for 2014-2016. The granted amount was of 142,805 euros and 92,563 euros each. Dr. Gámez underlines the fact that ¨VHIR received support for two projects, despite the call being highly competitive”. He also highlights “the great importance of establishing collaborations with private industry for the advancement of biomedical research and the development of new treatments”.The first project involves the VHIR, "http://www.minoryx.com/" Minoryx Therapeutics, "http://www.ascil-biopharm.com/" Ascil Biopharm, "http://www.reigjofre.com/en/" Reig Jofre laboratories and the "http://www.cun.es/" University Clinic of Navarra, and its goal is to develop a drug derived from pioglitazone for the treatment of x-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), a genetic neurodegenerative disease without cure for the moment. ALD is due to the accumulation of very long chain fatty acids in plasma and tissues (in particular the brain), and symptoms include behavioural, visual and auditive disorders, epileptic fits and dementia. Thus, it is a potentially lethal and debilitating disease on the long term, due to the damage in brain and nerves. Pioglitazone, already used for treating diabetes, has been explored in ALD and other neurodegenerative diseases, but with little clinical effect. According to the consortium, this is due to its low circulating levels in the central nervous system. They propose innovative strategies to design an analog or a new formulation of the molecule that allows increasing such levels and that represents a better overall risk/benefit than the currently commercialized form used for diabetes. This will also permit the generation of considerable intellectual property concerning the new formulations and their use. The goal of the second project, that involves VHIR, "http://www.sombiotech.com/" SOM Biotech, and the "http://www.uab.cat/" Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), is to develop a drug for the treatment of amyloidosis by transthyretin (ATTR), an irreversible and fatal orphan disease caused by the aberrant accumulation of the transthyretin protein (ATTR) in different organs. ATTR belongs to the family of amyloid diseases, characterized by protein aggregation and accumulation of insoluble deposits in tissues and organs, with often fatal consequences. They have a total incidence of 3.3 for each million persons in Spain. The project´s aim is to take to the clinical phases a drug whose activity in ATTR treatment was detected by SOM Biotech via a virtual screening technique capable of identifying new therapeutic activities of existing drugs. Studies performed by the company show that, in different experimental settings, the drug can stabilize the TTR protein, thus avoiding the formation of amyloid deposits. It can also induce the disagreggation of existing amylloid fibers, suggesting it can be used in advanced stages of the disease. This dual action positions the molecule as an attractive therapeutic alternative, superior to those that are currently being developed for the disease.