SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BlackThorn Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company discovering and developing targeted treatments for neurobehavioral disorders, today announced that it has entered into a clinical collaboration agreement with Mindstrong Health, a private biotechnology company working to transform the diagnosis and management of neurobehavioral disorders. Under the terms of the agreement, BlackThorn will use Mindstrong Health’s patented and validated technology to passively collect digital behavioral biomarkers in a series of Phase 2a clinical studies of BTRX-246040, BlackThorn’s lead program. BTRX-246040 is a first-in-class antagonist of the nociceptin receptor (NOPR), a target linked to multiple neurobehavioral disorders.
“Mindstrong Health shares our mission of transforming the management of neurobehavioral disorders through development of treatments targeted at well-characterized patient groups. Mindstrong’s technology has the potential to address the considerable patient heterogeneity seen in neurobehavioral disorders and help us identify which patient populations are most responsive to our treatments,” said Greg Vontz, chief executive officer of BlackThorn. “We look forward to collaborating with Mindstrong Health over the long term and expect that this partnership may help shape future clinical development programs leading to approved novel treatments for patients with neurobehavioral disorders.”
Mindstrong Health, headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif., has developed the first-ever passively collected brain biomarkers. The company’s patented breakthrough science and technology applies machine intelligence to link behavioral biomarkers from digitally captured data on mobile devices, enabling continuous measurement of these biomarkers. In three multi-year longitudinal studies, Mindstrong demonstrated that its biomarkers reliably predict serial neuropsychological test scores and detect the real-time effect of mood and sleep disorders on cognitive function.
“We are pleased to partner with BlackThorn on its first clinical development program to incorporate our platform,” said Paul Dagum, founder and chief executive officer of Mindstrong Health. “By working together, we aim to redefine the treatment of neurobehavioral disorders – from diagnosis and improved drug development to therapeutic outcomes.”
BTRX-246040 is BlackThorn’s first molecule for which Mindstrong Health’s patented technology will be implemented in clinical studies. Phase 2a studies of BTRX-246040 are expected to begin in the second half of 2017.
About BlackThorn Therapeutics, Inc.
BlackThorn Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to transforming the lives of people with neurobehavioral disorders through the discovery and development of novel, targeted treatments. BlackThorn is building a robust pipeline of first- and best-in-class treatments, and is redefining the industry approach to drug discovery and development by linking brain physiology to behavior. Through BlackThorn’s network of collaborations with leading academic investigators and technology alliances, the company is developing and deploying a set of technologies that will enable focused, rapid, resource-efficient translational studies for drug development. The company is headquartered in South San Francisco, Calif. For more information, please visit www.blackthornrx.com.
About Mindstrong Health, Inc.
Mindstrong Health is redefining the management and treatment of neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders with technology to measure brain function continuously from human-computer interaction on ubiquitous mobile devices. The company is based in Palo Alto, Calif., and is backed by Foresite Capital, ARCH Venture Partners, Optum Ventures, Berggruen Holdings and One Mind Brain Health Impact Fund. To learn more about Mindstrong Health, visit www.mindstronghealth.com.
