YUMA THERAPEUTICS CORPORAITON — Department of Health and Human Services STTR Phase II: NIA

Description

DESCRIPTION provided by applicant Neurodegeneration in Alzheimerandapos s disease AD may result from deposition of A as plaques in brain tissue However less effort has been made to elucidate the role of tau containing neurofibrillary tangles NFTs in AD Accumulating evidence suggests that tau containing NFTs is an important component in the initiation and progression of AD and other neurodegenerative diseases In this proposal the tau pathway is targeted through inhibition of the molecular chaperone heat shock protein Hsp as a promising new approach to affect the disease progression of AD This proposal builds on the specific aims set forth and achieved under the STTR Phase I funding a to conduct structure activity relationship studies to obtain brain permeable Hsp inhibitors and b to evaluate biochemical and cellular Hsp inhibition These efforts yielded novel proprietary Hsp inhibitors with acceptable drug like properties including good brain concentration Since the conclusion of Phase I funding Yuma Therapeutics has generated pharmacokinetic data in mice for an early lead compound YT further supporting its drug like properties The proposed studies for Phase II focus on a evaluating our lead compound in an in vivo transgenic mouse model of tauopathy on the levels of total tau and phosphorylated tau in cerebrospinal fluid tau neuropathology and behavioral outcomes b manufacturing scale up of active pharmaceutical ingredient API of a lead candidate and initiate in vivo toxicology studies and c formulation work on the API PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE This research is focused on identifying potential drug candidates to treat Alzheimerandapos s disease AD and in this way it addresses NIAandapos s priorities to support research on health and disease in the aged Furthermore this project targets the tau pathway as a promising new approach to affect the disease progression of AD