MADISON, Miss.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hawthorn Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today an exclusive global licensing deal with CoPlex Therapeutics on hawAD14, a preclinical oral small molecule candidate for the treatment of Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. Under the terms of the agreement, Hawthorn will receive an exclusive worldwide license to develop and commercialize hawAD14 and will be responsible for funding all future development.
Research indicates hawAD14 significantly decreases levels of Amyloid Beta (Aβ) and tau phosphorylation activity, the main constituents of amyloid plaques and paired helical filaments that make up neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer’s disease.
“In terms of the discovery’s uniqueness, it’s one of only few programs in the world demonstrating multiple protective effects against the predominant pathophysiologic pathways of Alzheimer’s disease,” said Rob Lewis, chief scientific officer at Hawthorn Pharmaceuticals. “Preclinical studies have shown the ability to significantly affect both Aβ processing enzymes and kinases responsible for tau hyperphosphorylation.”
“We are in the process of conducting the necessary preclinical studies in order to file an IND with the FDA,” said Max Draughn, Hawthorn Pharmaceuticals’ chief executive officer. “It’s our goal to ultimately see disease modifying results in human studies and eventually make a therapeutic difference someday to millions of suffering Alzheimer’s patients.”
About Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease affects 5.4 million Americans and is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. Though the symptoms can be treated, Alzheimer’s cannot be cured, prevented, or its progression slowed.
About Hawthorn Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Hawthorn Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a commercial stage specialty pharmaceutical company that develops and markets prescription pharmaceutical products to multiple physician specialties. Hawthorn’s broad pipeline represents the therapeutic areas of respiratory, nephrology, dermatology, oncology, CNS and neurology. For more information about Hawthorn Pharmaceuticals, Inc. or haw AD14, call Chief Scientific Officer Rob Lewis at (888) 455-5253 or visit the Hawthorn Pharmaceuticals web site at www.hawthornrx.com.
About CoPlex Therapeutics
CoPlex Therapeutics, LLC, is a drug discovery and development company that employs proprietary screens to identify small molecules that ameliorate signaling and macromolecular-processing defects underlying major chronic diseases as well as Orphan indications. CoPlex’s sister company Scout Diagnostics has recently developed an in vitro test for a novel biomarker tied to the progression of Alzheimer’s disease from its earliest manifestation as mild cognitive impairment, where next-generation therapeutics may offer the prospect of significantly slowing further cognitive decline. For more on CoPlex Therapeutics, call Managing Member John Beran at (502) 338-3908.