proprietary platform for the discovery and development of monoclonal antibodies that locally and selectively target these signaling proteins at the cellular level.

They believe this approach, acting in the disease microenvironment, avoids the historical challenges associated with inhibiting growth factors for therapeutic effect. We believe our focus on biologically validated growth factors may facilitate a more efficient development path. The company is advancing its lead product candidate, SRK-015, a selective first-in-class inhibitor of the activation of the growth factor myostatin in skeletal muscle, into clinical development for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy, or SMA. They expect to initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial in the second quarter of 2018. Utilizing its proprietary platform, they are also creating a pipeline of novel product candidates with the potential to transform the lives of patients suffering from a wide range of serious diseases, including other neuromuscular disorders, cancer, fibrosis, and anemia.