Despite the formidable challenges for developing precision psychiatry, the approach is notching its first successes in the preclinical and even some clinical settings. Many individual studies as well as large projects like the Psychiatric Ratings using Intermediate Markers (PRISM) studies and the Psychiatric Biomarkers Network (PBN) have been looking at multiple biomarker types, and have begun to identify predictors of specific symptoms, or disease progression.
Lumosa Therapeutics Co. Ltd.’s intravenous odatroltide (LT-3001) met the primary endpoints in a phase IIb trial in China in patients with acute ischemic stroke, paving the way for a pivotal phase III study.
Transthera Sciences Inc. is out-licensing one of its preclinical NLRP3 inhibitors to Neurocrine Biosciences Inc. under a collaboration agreement worth $881.5 million. Under deal terms, Nanjing, China-based Transthera will receive an undisclosed up-front payment and is eligible to receive research and development and sales-based milestone payments up to $881.5 million.
Scientists at Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., Shanghai Senhui Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. and Shanghai Shengdi Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. have described benzene ring derivatives acting as GABA-A receptor agonists reported to be useful for anesthesia and for the treatment of anxiety disorders, insomnia, depression, nausea and vomiting, migraine, convulsions, schizophrenia and epilepsy.
Brainxell Inc. has reported preclinical data demonstrating efficacy of BXT-110, an autologous induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neuronal therapy for Parkinson’s disease.
Psychiatry has struggled to enter the precision medicine era. But through a mix of innovations and bootstrapping, progress is coming to the field. Scientists are working on improving diagnoses by investigating potential biomarkers and collection methods.
Uniqure NV is regrouping after a surprise switcheroo by the havoc-beset U.S. FDA regarding phase I/II studies with AMT-130 vs. external control in Huntington’s disease (HD) – news of which pushed down the Lexington, Mass.-based firm’s shares (NASDAQ:QURE) Nov. 3 by $33.40, a loss of 49%, at the closing price of $34.29.
Manifold Biotechnologies Inc. has signed a strategic research collaboration and license agreement with F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. to develop next-generation brain shuttles for neurological diseases. The collaboration will apply Manifold’s proprietary tissue-targeting shuttle portfolio and mDesign AI-driven in vivo discovery engine.