Evanston, Illinois-based Aptinyx Inc., a biopharmaceutical company advancing therapies for neurological disorders, recently obtained $2.85 million in NIH grants to spearhead research on neuropathic pain and age-related cognitive decline.
Focused on discovery and development of innovative therapies for challenging disorders of the brain and nervous system, Aptinyx utilizes a platform for tracking down compounds that work through actually modulating NMDA receptors in the brain. In turn, this leads to improvement in the conduits related to nerve cell communication.
“We seek to leverage our experience and track record of success to rapidly advance promising therapies into clinical development for patients in need,” according to the company website.
NMDA receptors are critical to nerve cell communication.
The funding is comprised of three Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants: one each from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the National Institute on Aging and the National Cancer Institute.
The company’s proprietary compounds aim to improve synaptic plasticity — that is, to strengthen the network for neural cell communication — generally regarded as a valid mechanism in the field with potential for therapeutic applications.
"These NIH grants demonstrate the breadth of our NMDA receptor modulation platform and its potential to have an impact on many different diseases and disorders," Joseph Moskal, Aptinyx’s chief scientific officer, said. "Based on years of research into the role of NMDA modulation in enhancing synaptic plasticity, we know that our approach can have broad and diverse applications. We are eager to expand research into these indications, for which there is a clear unmet need for more effective and innovative treatment options."
Aptinyx is now conducting the first phase of a study relating to diabetic peripheral neuropathy. In addition to attaining the NIH funding, the firm recently gained Fast Track designation for developing its program from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
