Henrik Klitgaard

Henrik Klitgaard is a pioneering neuroscientist with a distinguished career in epilepsy research and drug development. He received a PhD in Human Physiology in 1989 at the August Krogh Institute at the University of Copenhagen, and during his university career worked at the Pasteur Institute in Paris and at Harvard University.

As Vice President for Neuroscience at UCB, he led the team that discovered the novel Synaptic Vesicle 2A (SV2A) mechanism, leading to the development of two groundbreaking antiepileptic drugs: Levetiracetam (Keppra), the first blockbuster epilepsy treatment, and Brivaracetam (Briviact). His publications include more than 80 peer-reviewed papers and 15 reviews and book chapters. He is a former member of the Scientific Committee at Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy and currently serves on the External Consultant Board of the NIH's Epilepsy Therapy Screening Project.

In recognition of his dedication to advancing epilepsy treatments, Henrik was honored with the Accelerator Award from the US Epilepsy Foundation, celebrating his long-standing commitment to improving the lives of those affected by epilepsy.

Career History

• Novo Nordisk A/S: Joined pharmaceutical industry in 1990, where he established a platform for antiepileptic drug discovery
• UCB Pharma (Union Chimique Belge): Recruited in 1994 as Head of CNS Research, focused drug discovery efforts on novel antiepileptic drugs, later appointed Vice President and nominated UCB Fellow in 2012
• Neumirna Therapeutics: Co-founder in 2020 alongside Prof. Sakari Kauppinen and Lars Hellerung Christiansen, serving as Scientific Co-Founder and Board Member, developing RNA-based therapies for neurological diseases

What Henrik Klitgaard could bring to Neumirna Therapeutics: His three decades of experience in epilepsy drug discovery and development—including the groundbreaking discovery of the SV2A mechanism and creation of blockbuster treatments—positions him to guide Neumirna's clinical translation of its microRNA-targeted RNA platform. His deep relationships within the global epilepsy research community, combined with his regulatory and commercial expertise from UCB, provide crucial assets for advancing NMT.001 and navigating the complex path from preclinical science to transformative patient therapies.