In this week’s edition of The Prototype, we look at a drug to help spinal injuries, a crypto billionaire’s big space play, revitalizing aging immune systems and more. To get The Prototype in your inbox, sign up here.

Every year, around 18,000 Americans will suffer a traumatic spinal cord injury. This can lead to a number of complications, including paralysis or limited movement in the limbs, spasticity and other health impacts. And right now, there are no treatments apart from physical therapy, which only has limited utility.

But a recent clinical trial suggests there may be a new treatment on the horizon for some patients, which right now is called NVG-291. Developed by Vancouver, Canada-based NervGen, the drug is injected into the body and then gets to work. In many spinal injuries, the spinal cord isn’t completely severed, but scar tissue forms that triggers nerves to stop growing when they hit it. CEO Adam Rogers told Forbes that his company’s drug “wakes up” those dormant nerves and gets them to grow again.

“Neurons do have the ability to regenerate,” Rogers told Forbes. “And that’s what our drug is doing.”

To test the drug, 10 spinal injury patients were given the drug and physical therapy, while the other 10 were given a placebo. Those who got NVG-291 saw a number of improvements, including significant improvements in hand function, upper limb strength and lower body mobility. Patients who received the drug also saw more than 5x improvement in measurable spine connectivity. Additionally, the benefits seem to be durable, as patients saw continuing physical improvement in the 4 weeks after taking the drug.

Investors have taken notice—the company’s stock price has more than doubled in the past year, even though it has a ways to go before the drug hits the market. Next up is a larger clinical study, this time with around 150 patients, which Rogers said he hopes will begin next summer.

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© Forbes