Seaside Therapeutics LLC today announced that the Company has initiated a Phase 1 clinical trial of STX107, a highly potent, selective mGluR5 antagonist, in development for the treatment of Fragile X Syndrome. The single ascending dose study is designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of STX107 in healthy volunteers. Fragile X Syndrome is the most common inherited form of mental impairment and the most common known cause of autism.
“Individuals with Fragile X and other related brain development disorders need effective therapeutics directed towards the underlying disease pathophysiology, rather than just the associated symptomatic behaviors,” said Thomas R. Insel, M.D., Director of the National Institute of Mental Health. “The NIH is committed to funding groundbreaking basic scientific research to understand the etiology of Fragile X Syndrome with the ultimate goal of translating the resulting discoveries into novel therapeutics. Development of Seaside Therapeutics’ novel drug candidate, STX107, is representative of the promise of these efforts.”
Randall L. Carpenter, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Seaside Therapeutics added, ”Initiation of the STX107 safety study is a momentous first step in the development of a potentially disease-modifying treatment for brain development disorders, such as Fragile X Syndrome and autism. Currently, there are no FDA approved drugs to enhance cognitive function for these disorders. We believe that normalizing signaling in the mGluR5 pathway with STX107 provides a compelling opportunity to correct or improve the course of Fragile X Syndrome, which could create a meaningful and lasting improvement in the lives of patients and their families.”