PsychoGenics Inc., with its drug discovery platform PGI Drug Discovery LLC, has announced an exclusive license agreement with Roche for the global rights to RO7117997, an Equilibrative Nucleoside Transporter 1 (ENT1) inhibitor. Discovered through their collaboration, PsychoGenics aims to advance RO7117997 as a treatment for a variety of psychiatric and neurological conditions, with an initial focus on sleep and seizure disorders.
RO7117997 represents a novel approach to addressing neuropsychiatric disorders and has already shown a promising safety profile in preclinical studies. ENT1 inhibitors work by increasing extracellular adenosine levels, which can improve sleep quality and reduce seizure frequency via adenosine receptor activation. Potential applications for ENT1 inhibition extend to schizophrenia, addiction, neurodegenerative diseases, pain, and inflammation.
PsychoGenics is well-known for its expertise in translating rodent behavioral and physiological responses into high-throughput phenotyping, aiding in discovering several compounds now in clinical and preclinical development. The company is preparing to submit an IND application and begin clinical trials for RO7117997 in 2024.
Jon Napitupulu is Director of Media Relations at The Clinical Trial Vanguard. Jon, a computer data scientist, focuses on the latest clinical trial industry news and trends.
