Progressive neurodegenerative conditions, such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease, are major causes of disability and premature death. Despite major efforts, there are very few medicines available to slow the process of neurodegeneration and thus the progression of disability. This may be because most drugs target single biological pathways, despite neurodegeneration being  a highly complex process, involving a variety of different mechanisms. Thus, to provide maximal neuroprotection, there's an urgent need for drugs that target multiple pathophysiological processes.

Elixa has identified several novel compounds with such a profile so they have a good prospect of  becoming first-in-class disease-modifying medicines. They, therefore, have clear potential to  make a significant positive impact to the lives of those with neurodegenerative disease, along with their families and society as a whole.

Elixa’s strategy is to progress Lead Candidates to a stage of being ready for, or completed, first-in-man studies. The company will then seek collaboration partners to complete development, gain regulatory approval and launch new neuroprotective drug products in the market. 

Development risk is reduced by working with starting moieties with good safety profiles and developing proprietary versions and formulations optimised for maximal CNS exposure.

Overhead costs are minimised by outsourcing all R&D activity.

UK Patent Application No. 2305212.9 was filed on 6th April 2023 and a PCT application on 5th April 2024.

Elixa’s CEO will be speaking at the MarketsandMarkets Neuroscience R&D Conference in London on 9th - 10th October 2023.

The title of his presentation is:

Neuroprotective therapeutics: from monomodal to multimodal strategies

Summary:

• There is an urgent need for neuroprotective therapeutics

• Current strategies have largely focused in single mechanisms and have largely failed to slow disability progression 

• Neurodegeneration is complex so multimodal compounds may have greater impact

Click here for meeting website

Digital Editor for CPHI Online, Lucy Chard, is joined by Alan Palmer of Elixa MediScience to talk about neurological disorders including Alzheimer’s disease and everything that is encompassed under this terminology. Use this link to listen.