RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Evecxia, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of neuropsychiatric diseases, today announced that it has appointed Jacob Jacobsen, PhD, as its Chief Scientific Officer (CSO). Dr. Jacobsen will direct the development of EVX-101, the Company’s lead clinical-stage product candidate for the adjunctive treatment of depression in patients not achieving an adequate response to traditional SSRI/SNRI antidepressants.
While at Duke University, Dr. Jacobsen built the 5-hydroxytryptophan slow-release (5-HTP SR) scientific and technical rationale undergirding EVX-101. Dr. Jacobsen is a world expert in 5-HTP pharmacology. “Jacob’s experience will be invaluable as we continue to advance the development of EVX-101 into the clinic,” said John Kaiser, CEO and Interim Chairman of the Board of Evecxia, Inc. “I am happy to be working with Jacob and we look forward to his contributions and welcome him to our dedicated and focused team.”
Dr. Jacobsen earned his PhD in Neuropharmacology at The University of Copenhagen. He was previously at Lundbeck and NeuroSearch before joining Dr. Marc Caron’s laboratory at Duke University. Drs. Jacobsen and Caron are co-founders of Evecxia.
“I am proud to be officially joining the Evecxia effort to advance EVX-101 into the clinic. I believe EVX-101 has the potential to improve the lives of millions of depressed patients and their love ones,” said Dr. Jacobsen.
About Evecxia
Evecxia is a privately funded, clinical stage pharmaceutical company, located in the Research Triangle Park, NC. Evecxia's mission is to develop and commercialize EVX-101 and related drug candidates to treat patients suffering from disabling, common, and costly neuropsychiatric conditions in which current therapies, in many cases, are sub-optimal.
Evecxia is the first company dedicated to realizing the therapeutic potential of 5-hydroxytryptophan via specialized Rx combinations and drug delivery dosage forms. Evecxia has licensed a comprehensive portfolio of issued and pending patents on 5-HTP SR from Duke University, Columbia University, and Duke-National University Singapore.
About EVX-101
EVX-101 is a unique and proprietary oral slow-release formulation of 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) and low-dose carbidopa. Initially, EVX-101 will be developed and positioned as a first-line adjunctive treatment in depressed patients responding inadequately to conventional SSRI/SNRI antidepressants. As an antidepressant, the development of EVX-101, a new chemical entity (NCE), is uniquely de-risked because the therapeutic mechanism—elevating extracellular serotonin beyond the effect of conventional SSRI/SNRI antidepressants—enjoys human proof-of-concept for efficacy and safety.
For more information about the Evecxia and its product candidates, please visit www.evecxia.com or contact info@evecxia.com.
