Delix Therapeutics Partners With Cellectricon, Expressive Neuroscience and Expands Science Team To Accelerate Drug Discovery and Translatability
Pioneering Neuroscience Company to Turbocharge Therapeutics Pipeline Beyond Non-Hallucinogenic Analogs of First-Gen Psychedelics to Advance Psychoplastogens in Novel Chemical Space
BOSTON, Feb. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Delix Therapeutics (the "Company"), a neuroscience company developing novel neuroplasticity-promoting therapeutics for psychiatric and neurological conditions, today announced its collaboration with two partners that will help expedite the company's drug development pipeline. To further the company's mission to 'rewire the brain to heal the mind', Delix is also expanding its team of experts, including the addition of Alison Mungenast, PhD, as Senior Director of Neuroplasticity. As a multifunctional neuroscientist, Alison joins Delix from Sana Biotechnology where she managed the CNS cell therapy group working to advance therapeutic approaches to neurodegenerative disease.
Delix recently inked a deal with Cellectricon, the Sweden-based collaborative services provider dedicated to advancing drug discovery with innovative approaches to in vitro research. Delix's world-class science team – led by co-founder and chief innovation officer David E. Olson, Chief Science Officer Dr. Kurt Rasmussen, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Brigitte Robertson, and Head of R&D Dr. Eliseo Salinas – have partnered with Cellectricon to create novel assays to measure the structural and functional plasticity effects of Delix's psychoplastogen compounds using cutting-edge technologies. The two companies recently jointly presented a poster, "Development of a high content cortical neuroplasticity assay for the assessment of structural plasticity of psychedelics," at the Society for Neuroscience's 2022 conference in San Diego which highlighted Delix's novel, phenotypic drug discovery approach and Cellectricon's innovation capabilities.
To further advance its innovative approach with the greatest scientific rigor, Delix is also partnering with Expressive Neuroscience, which provides top quality, front-to-back CNS assay services, in silico automation of measurements, and cloud-based tools for data visualization and analysis. As part of Delix's mission to advance treatments for a range of neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders, Expressive will leverage its proprietary Expert platform. Their extensive experience in conjugating bioinformatics and biology will combine with Delix's capabilities, and accelerate integration of Delix's flowscheme to simplify and expedite decision making in advancing its library of more than 1,400 compounds.
"What Delix is ultimately trying to achieve with our non-hallucinatory psychoplastogens, is to evolve a new paradigm in the treatment of mental health disorders at scale. We believe this can be accomplished by rapidly and sustainably addressing structural synaptic plasticity in the brain. Powered by our incredible team and R&D partners at the forefront of scientific innovation, we are eager to move forward in delivering safe, accessible, and more effective take-at-home treatments to patients in need," said Delix CEO Mark Rus.
Through the partnership agreements, Delix will benefit from unique access to novel assays and capabilities developed with Expressive Neuroscience and Cellectricon.
Delix was recently named by Chemical & Engineering News as one of 2022's Ten Start-Ups to Watch, recognized by Nature Biotechnology as a leading biotech company of 2021, and honored by the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association with the ACE Award for advancing gender diversity. The company is expected to begin phase one clinical trials on its lead candidates in the first half of 2023 and is on track to open a new lab in Delix's Massachusetts headquarters later this year.
About DELIX Therapeutics
Delix Therapeutics is a neuroscience company focused on harnessing the power of psychoplastogens— novel neuroplasticity-promoting therapeutics—to better treat mental health disorders at scale. The company's compounds are easily manufactured small molecules capable of rapidly inducing structural and functional neural changes in targeted areas of the brain. Many of these molecules are inspired by psychedelic compounds and preserve their efficacy-promoting mechanisms while avoiding their hallucinogenic properties and other safety liabilities. Delix is rapidly advancing these compounds through preclinical and clinical development to bring patients FDA-approved, take-home medicines that will serve several unmet needs. Headquartered in Massachusetts, Delix is building a world-class biotechnology company by combining an experienced team with innovative treatment strategies and scientific rigor to address the significant and growing mental health challenges impacting society.
CONTACTS
Investor Relations:
Retsina Meyer, PhD
Delix Therapeutics
invest@delixtherapeutics.com
Media Relations:
Abby Berger
KCSA Strategic Communications
Delix@KCSA.com
SOURCE Delix Therapeutics