Bumetanide

STALICLA’s precision psychiatry study highlights strong EEG-based target engagement of STP1 treatment in defined subgroup of patients with autism and numerical improvement in core symptoms June 27, 2024 – STALICLA SA, a Swiss neuro precision biotech company dedicated to developing precision medicine-based treatments for neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders, today announced the publication of a landmark phase 1b study with STP1, a novel combination therapy tailored for the treatment of a clinically and biologically defined subgroup of patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), named ASD Phenotype 1 (ASD-Phen1). The results of the study were published in the peer-reviewed journal Biomedicines, in an article titled “Safety, Tolerability, and EEG-Based Target Engagement of STP1 (PDE3,4 Inhibitor and NKCC1 Antagonist) in a Randomized Clinical Trial in a Subgroup of Patients with ASD”. Lynn Durham, CEO of STALICLA, highlighted: “This study marks a significant milestone in the advancement of precision medicine for ASD. It is a first-of-its-kind stratification-based approach for clinical development in neurodevelopmental disorders, demonstrating the potential of precision medicine in ASD.” The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 1b clinical trial evaluated the safety and tolerability of STP1, a combination of ibudilast and bumetanide, in ASD-Phen1 patients. The clinical trial (registered at clinicaltrials.gov NCT04644003), involved two 14-day treatment phases of ASD-Phen1 patients receiving STP1 or placebo. The results showed that STP1 was well-tolerated with no significant adverse effects reported. Significant and dose-related reductions in gamma power were observed in the whole brains of patients taking STP1, particularly in regions associated with executive function and memory. Additionally, STP1 increased alpha 2 power in frontal and occipital regions, while improving habituation and neural synchronization to auditory chirps. Dr. Craig A. Erickson, Associate Professor, UC Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, and the principal investigator of the study, remarked: “The electrophysiological signals from this study are remarkable and represent the strongest early trial target engagement signals our lab has seen in the autism field.” Dr. Laura Pérez-Cano, Head of Discovery at STALICLA and co-author of the study, added: “These findings not only highlight the potential of STP1 as a therapeutic option for ASD-Phen1 patients but also underscore the importance of combining biologically-based patient stratification with quantifiable outcome measures such as EEG that can then be correlated with behavioral measures.” By focusing on a biologically defined subgroup of ASD patients, STALICLA is moving closer to making personalized treatment options a reality for patients with ASD. This approach has the potential to revolutionize the treatment of ASD and other neuropsychiatric conditions. STALICLA is a global, clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on advancing precision medicine for brain disorders. The company has developed a unique neuro precision development platform, DEPI, supported by clinical validation in a first indication: Autism Spectrum Disorder. Its lead neurodevelopmental disorder asset, STP1, is entering Phase 2 trials. Its lead neuropsychiatry asset, STP7 (Mavoglurant), fully funded by the US government, will soon be Phase 3 ready for Cocaine Use Disorder. ‎ The content above comes from the network. if any infringement, please contact us to modify.

The ASD pipeline consists of 127 drugs spanning all stages of development, with only 7% of drugs present in Phase III and 11.8% in Phase II clinical development. Image Credit: Alex and Maria photo / Shutterstock. Switzerland-based Stalica has raised $17.5m in Series B financing to fund clinical trials for its neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders pipeline. The clinical programmes that the company plans to use the Series B proceeds include the fixed-dose combination drug STP1 and mavoglurant (STP7). Furthermore, the company will also strengthen the data package for STP2. Stalica’s clinical pipeline STP1 is a fixed dose combination of ibudilast, a phosphodiesterase (PDE) 4/3 inhibitor, and bumetanide, a sodium (Na)- potassium (K)- chloride (Cl) cotransporter (NKCC) 1 agonist. Stalica is developing the precision therapy as a treatment for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in a specific sub-group of patients, phenotype 1 (Phen1). Phen1 patients have been identified by Stalica and validated using two independent clinical observational/bio-sampling studies (NCT05590715 and NCT04644003). The company is planning a Phase II trial for STP1 in patients with ASD, the preparation of which will be funded by the proceeds from the current financing round. Mavoglurant is a negative allosteric modulator of the glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5). Stalica signed an in-licencing agreement with Novartis to develop the drug as a treatment for substance-use disorders and neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) in January 2023. As per the agreement, the company is entitled to receive up to $270m in upfront and milestone-based payments along with royalties on net sales. The company is planning a Phase III trial for mavoglurant in patients with cocaine use disorder in 2025. The trial will be funded by the US National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). It is expected to enrol up to 330 patients. STP2 is a stabilised synthetic form of sulforaphane. Stalica acquired the rights to the therapy from the UK-based Evgen Pharma in October 2022. Stalica is developing STP2 as a treatment for ASD in Phen2 sub-population. The company plans to start Phase II trial for the therapy in 2023. ASD landscape The total diagnosed prevalence of ASD was more than 9.81 million in 2023 and is expected to be approximately 9.65 million diagnosed prevalent cases of ASD in 2028, as per a 2023 Globaldata report . The ASD pipeline consists of 127 drugs spanning all stages of development, with only 7% of drugs present in Phase III and 11.8% in Phase II clinical development. GlobalData is the parent company of Pharmaceutical Technology . In November 2023, SciSparc started a clinical trial for SCI-210 to treat ASD symptoms in children. SCI-210 is a combination of cannabidiol (CBD) and palmitoylethanolamide. The trial is expected to enrol 60 patients aged five and 18 years. Apart from ASD treatment, strides have been made in developing diagnostics for the disorder. In September 2023, EarliTech positive data from two studies showing the efficacy and accuracy of its EarliPoint Evaluation device in diagnosing and assessing autism in children aged 30 months and older.