Neuropore Therapies Receives $500,000 Grant from The ALS Association to Explore ALS Treatments that Inhibit Neuronal Damage from Disease-Related Inflammation

(Business Wire Article)

SAN DIEGO, February 17, 2020 --Neuropore Therapies, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company discovering and developing novel therapeutics for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders announced today that it has been awarded a $500,000 grant from The ALS Association to support the preclinical evaluation and development of its leading Toll-Like Receptor 2 (TLR2) antagonist NPT1220-312 for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The grant has been made through the Association’s Lawrence and Isabel Barnett Drug Development Program.

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are found on brain cells. Their function is to trigger inflammation that activates the immune system in response to bad players such as viruses or bacteria. Research suggests that TLR2 over-activation plays a key role in driving chronic inflammation that leads to the degeneration of neurons in people with ALS and Parkinson’s disease. NPT1220-312 is a potential treatment to protect neurons from the damaging inflammation generated by TLR2 receptors.

"Neuropore Therapies is pursuing a very innovative and promising scientific path to tamp down overactive TLR2 receptors and reduce the kind of damage associated with the inflammation that leads to damaged and dying neurons, said Kuldip Dave, Ph.D., Vice President of Research at The ALS Association.  "Early work in this area has shown promising results and we are eager to take this research forward."

“We are very pleased to receive this grant from The ALS Association to facilitate the development of NPT1220-312 for the treatment of ALS. Targeting TLR2 is an exciting new approach to the treatment of ALS. NPT1220-312 is a potent, selective, orally-bioavailable TLR2 antagonist.  It has shown robust beneficial actions in cell based assays and in an animal models of ALS. Pending positive outcomes in ongoing studies, our goal is to submit an IND application for NPT1220-312 to FDA by first half of 2021” stated Doug Bonhaus, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Science Officer of Neuropore Therapiesannounced today that it has successfully completed the Phase 1 clinical trial in healthy volunteers with NPT520-34.  NPT520-34 is a small molecule being developed for Parkinson’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The Phase 1 study was designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of single and multiple doses of NPT520-34.

About Neuropore Therapies, Inc. (NPT^TM)

Neuropore Therapies Inc. is a San Diego, California based biopharmaceutical company developing novel disease modifying small molecule therapeutics for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders. Neuropore’s therapeutic candidates block the neurotoxic oligomeric aggregates of misfolded proteins which are the primary drivers of disease pathology by preventing the induction of damaging neuroinflammation mechanisms common to many neurodegenerative disorders.  By targeting the underlying mechanisms by which neuroinflammation drives a vicious cycle of protein pathology and neurodegeneration, Neuropore’s therapeutic candidates may have broad applications in slowing disease progression and improving symptoms across a wide range of neuro-inflammatory / neuro-degenerative disorders.

For more information visit www.neuropore.com.

About The ALS Association

The ALS Association is the largest private funder of ALS research in the world. The Association funds global research collaborations, provides assistance for people with ALS and their families through its nationwide network of chapters and certified clinical care centers, and advocates for better public policies for people with ALS. The ALS Association builds hope and enhances quality of life while urgently searching for new treatments and a cure. For more information about The ALS Association, visit our website at www.alsa.org.