The Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) has invested $4.2M to accelerate the development of GliaPharm’s lead compound through investigational new drug (IND)-enabling studies to gain approval for clinical testing in Alzheimer’s disease.
GliaPharm SA is an EPFL Spinoff specialising in the research and development of novel therapies to treat and prevent neurological diseases. Founded in 2017, GliaPharm has established a pipeline of compounds through its in-house proprietary drug discovery platform GliaX focused on glial cell function. These compounds aim to promote brain energy metabolism by specifically targeting glial cells.
One of the hallmarks of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, is reduced glucose uptake in the brain, a condition known as hypometabolism. This metabolic decline occurs before symptoms arise and persists as the disease progresses. There are currently no specific treatments to address this problem in Alzheimer’s disease.
The company is currently developing its lead candidate GP-119 towards clinical testing through IND/CTA-enabling studies, which are mandatory to gain approval for clinical testing by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US, and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in Europe.
The $4.2 million investment from the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF), a non-profit organisation dedicated to accelerating drug discovery and development in Alzheimer’s disease, will bring GliaPharm’s lead compound GP-119 to the clinical stage. GP-119 is a novel, orally active small molecule that acts on brain energy metabolism.
“While the brain is only about two percent of the body’s weight, it consumes about a quarter of the body’s energy in glucose stores, which is why it’s believed that poor brain metabolism can lead to neurodegeneration,” says Dr Howard Fillit, Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer at the ADDF. “Developing new drugs that seek to regulate brain metabolism in the ageing body like GliaPharm’s GP-119 is a promising approach for treating Alzheimer’s and related dementias, as we hope to develop an arsenal of drugs that can stop the disease in its tracks through combination therapy and precision medicine.”
“This comes as a strong validation for GliaPharm’s Alzheimer’s program and a solid partner for future developments,” adds Ambroise Magistretti, GliaPharm’s co-CEO and co-founder. “The support from the ADDF will be key to advancing our lead program through preclinical regulatory studies, which will be followed by clinical trials. We are enthusiastic about the ADDF’s strategy to support novel and potentially complementary therapeutic solutions for Alzheimer’s disease, including our own approach to tackle brain hypometabolism,” says Dr. Charles Finsterwald, GliaPharm’s CSO and co-founder.
(Press release/RAN)
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