Neuropore Therapies Receives $500,000 Grant from The ALS Association to Explore ALS Treatments that Inhibit Neuronal Damage from Disease-Related Inflammation

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Neuropore Therapies, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company discovering and developing novel therapeutics for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders, announced today that it has been awarded a $500,000 grant from The ALS Association to support the preclinical evaluation and development of its leading Toll-Like Receptor 2 (TLR2) antagonist NPT1220-312 for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The grant has been made through the Association’s Lawrence and Isabel Barnett Drug Development Program.

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are found on brain cells. Their function is to trigger inflammation that activates the immune system in response to bad players such as viruses or bacteria. Research suggests that TLR2 over-activation plays a key role in driving chronic inflammation that leads to the degeneration of neurons in people with ALS and Parkinson’s disease. NPT1220-312 is a potential treatment to protect neurons from the damaging inflammation generated by TLR2 receptors.

"Neuropore Therapies is pursuing a very innovative and promising scientific path to tamp down overactive TLR2 receptors and reduce the kind of damage associated with the inflammation that leads to damaged and dying neurons," said Kuldip Dave, Ph.D., Vice President of Research at The ALS Association. "Early work in this area has shown promising results and we are eager to take this research forward."

“We are very pleased to receive this grant from The ALS Association to facilitate the development of NPT1220-312 for the treatment of ALS. Targeting TLR2 is an exciting new approach to the treatment of ALS. NPT1220-312 is a potent, selective, orally-bioavailable TLR2 antagonist. It has shown robust beneficial actions in cell based assays and in an animal models of ALS. Pending positive outcomes in ongoing studies, our goal is to submit an IND application for NPT1220-312 to FDA by first half of 2021,” stated Doug Bonhaus, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Science Officer of Neuropore Therapies.

About Neuropore Therapies, Inc. (NPT®)

Neuropore Therapies is developing novel small molecule therapeutics to treat and slow the progression of neurodegenerative disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. The approach being taken by Neuropore is to target an underlying pathological process common to these disorders – the accumulation of toxic oligomeric aggregates of misfolded neuronal proteins in cell membranes. By preventing the formation and enhancing the clearance of these toxic aggregates synaptic function may be restored and neurodegenerative processes slowed.

About The ALS Association

The ALS Association is the largest private funder of ALS research in the world. The Association funds global research collaborations, provides assistance for people with ALS and their families through its nationwide network of chapters and certified clinical care centers, and advocates for better public policies for people with ALS. The ALS Association builds hope and enhances quality of life while urgently searching for new treatments and a cure. For more information about The ALS Association, visit our website at www.alsa.org.