EpicentRx Wins DoD Award to Develop RRx-001 as Neuroprotective Countermeasure

EpicentRx, in collaboration with Associate Professor Richard Gordon from Queensland University of Technology’s Translational Research Institute (QUT-TRI), has been granted funding from the US Department of Defense's Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP). The focus of this Translational Research Award, provided through the CDMRP Toxic Exposures Research Program (TERP), is to support research at both EpicentRx and QUT-TRI in Brisbane, Australia. The aim is to advance the development of EpicentRx’s proprietary small molecule, RRx-001 (nibrozetone), as a neuroprotective agent and medical countermeasure against chemical exposures that are linked to neurodegeneration.

Increasing evidence indicates that exposure to industrial chemicals, as well as chemicals encountered in various professions such as military service, firefighting, and farming, may contribute to the escalating global incidence of neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Research has shown that acute and chronic exposure to particular chemicals, including pesticides, organophosphates, heavy metals, and some solvents, can damage the central nervous system and either initiate or exacerbate neurological decline.

RRx-001 has demonstrated the ability to protect healthy cells from toxicity caused by radiation and chemotherapy in both clinical and preclinical studies. Due to positive outcomes in preclinical models and a deeper understanding of the drug’s mechanism of action, the CDMRP TERP has awarded $1.6 million over three years for further development of RRx-001. This funding will also support the creation of new formulations that can effectively shield the central nervous system and gut-brain axis from damage induced by chemical exposures.

Dr. Richard Gordon, a noted neuroscientist and toxicologist, remarked on the drug's unique pharmacological properties and its broad protective activity in the central nervous system, making it an excellent candidate for neuroprotection and as a countermeasure for chemical exposures. Dr. Tony Reid, Chief Executive Officer of EpicentRx, expressed honor at receiving the award, noting that these non-dilutive funds will facilitate the clinical progress of RRx-001 as a potential treatment for veterans affected by neurotoxicity.

The CDMRP Translational Research Award will facilitate the next stage of development for RRx-001, building on ongoing research funded by the Michael J. Fox Foundation, Shake It Up Australia Foundation, and FightMND. This ongoing work evaluates the therapeutic efficacy of RRx-001 for neurodegenerative diseases and its protective mechanisms within the central nervous system.

EpicentRx is a privately held biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing innovative therapies for cancer and other diseases. The company boasts two innovation-driven platforms, with nibrozetone (RRx-001) and AdAPT-001 as the leading compounds. EpicentRx's mission is to achieve disease remission through novel, well-tolerated therapies targeting a variety of unmet medical needs. Nibrozetone (RRx-001) is designed to preferentially target diseased tissues such as tumors while protecting normal cells from damage. The drug is currently under clinical investigation, with a late-stage trial named KEVLARx ongoing for the prevention of chemoradiation-induced oral mucositis in patients with first-line head and neck cancer.

The funding amounting to approximately $1.6 million was provided by the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, endorsed by the Department of Defense, and is specifically allocated through the Toxic Exposures Research Program.