Galimedix's GAL-201 Shows Alzheimer's Neuroprotection at AD/PD 2024

Photo:Representative Image

Galimedix Therapeutics, Inc. has announced encouraging results for its small-molecule compound, GAL-201, which has the potential to revolutionize the treatment of eye and brain malignancies. The company is a Phase 2 biotech that develops oral neuroprotective therapies.

The data presented at the International Conference on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases and Related Neurological Disorders (AD/PD 2024: advances in science and therapy) shows that GAL-201 has the potential for neuroprotection and symptomatic relief in models of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The findings strongly support previous studies showing GAL-201 as a promising candidate for treating AD.

The small molecule GAL-201 belongs to a new pharmacological class of amyloid beta aggregation modulators that acts upstream of other known Aß-targeting agents, said Hermann Russ, M.D., Ph.D., co-founder and chief scientific officer of Galimedix.

The data from the poster, entitled "The amyloid beta aggregation modulator GAL-201 is under development for oral AD treatment: Cognitive improvement in a transgenic AD model," showed a high affinity of GAL-201 to misfolded Aß monomers, the precursors of the neurotoxic forms of Aß oligomers and protofibrils.

The binding of GAL-201 to the Aß monomers significantly prevented Aß-induced suppression of long-term potentiation (LTP), which is considered a neuronal correlate of learning and memory. These results mirrored the observed morphological changes in neurons (dendrites) and prevented the loss of Aß columns.

In behavioral experiments using AD animal models, a single injection of GAL-201 improved cognitive performance in both time (escape) and accuracy (left-right decision) to do a task (cross water maze) and to compare.

The results demonstrate the potential of GAL-201 as a promising Aß therapy for AD with its advanced mechanism of action and patient-friendly route of administration as an oral tablet. The next step is to move GAL-201 into IND submission and clinical development.