Neumora Initiates Phase 1 Study to Treat Schizophrenia

Neumora Therapeutics, Inc. (Neumora), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company reinventing brain medication research, announced the start of a phase 1 single ascending dose/multiple ascending dosage trial in healthy adult volunteers to evaluate NMRA-266. 

NMRA-266 is a highly selective positive allosteric modulator of the M4 muscarinic receptor that Neumora is developing as a treatment for schizophrenia and other neuropsychiatric disorders, as per pharmabiz.

“The initiation of this phase 1 study is an important step in the development of NMRA-266. In pre-clinical studies NMRA-266 demonstrated a favourable pharmacologic profile that includes high potency and selectivity for the M4 receptor subtype, meriting its advancement into the clinic,” said Robert Lenz, M.D. Ph.D., executive vice president and head of research and development, Neumora. “With its pre-clinical profile and clinical validation of the M4 muscarinic receptor class in treating schizophrenia, we believe that NMRA-266 has strong potential as a treatment for neuropsychiatric disorders.”

“Muscarinic receptor-targeting compounds have demonstrated robust activity in multiple clinical trials, reinforcing the potential of this class of medicines as an approach to treating schizophrenia and other neuropsychiatric disorders,” said John H. Krystal, M.D., Robert L. McNeil, Jr. Professor of Translational Research and Professor of Psychiatry, of Neuroscience, and Psychology, and chair of the Yale Department of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine. “Schizophrenia is a serious and debilitating disorder. Limitations in the effectiveness of existing treatments result in significant unmet medical need. Pharmacologic treatment is an integral part of a comprehensive treatment plan, and finding the right treatment option for each patient is vitally important. As such, it’s encouraging to see the development of multiple products within the muscarinic class that may help people with schizophrenia find a treatment that works for them.”