ANS-858 is a new selective, reversible, orally bioavailable
ALDH2 Inhibitor in pre-clinical development to reduce craving.
BEL AIR,
Md. and SAN
FRANCISCO, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Amygdala
Neurosciences (a private company) announced today that the Company
has closed a new round of equity financing led by ABMRF, the
Alcohol Beverage Medicines Research Foundation to fund the
Company's IND-stage activities for ANS-858.
ABMRF/The Foundation for Alcohol Research is the largest,
independent non-profit foundation in North America devoted solely to funding
research on the effects of alcohol on health and behavior
(https://www.abmrf.org/). The Foundation was established in
1982 as an independent philanthropic organization dedicated to the
development and dissemination of new knowledge about the
biological, behavioral and social aspects of alcohol consumption.
The Foundation's mission is to 1) achieve a better understanding of
the effects of alcohol on the health and behavior of individuals,
2) provide the scientific basis for prevention and treatment of
alcohol misuse, 3) fund innovative, high-quality research, 4)
support promising new investigators, 5) communicate information
with the research community and other interested parties.
Bruce Ambler, Chair Board of
Trustees ABMRF said "Amygdala Neurosciences has established itself
as a leader in the field of alcohol research. Craving is a key
component of the alcohol use disorder adaptation, which consists of
craving, loss of control, and adverse consequences. Amygdala
Neuroscience's lead clinical candidate, ANS-858, targets the first
of these aspects of the misuse of alcohol."
Use of alcohol and alcohol use disorder (AUD) remains high. It
is estimated that in 2020 over half of the adult population (54.9%
of those 18 years or older) used alcohol resulting in 27.6 million
adult Americans (11%) diagnosed with AUD. The US Centers for
Disease Control estimated the annual average deaths attributable to
excessive alcohol use to be more than 140,000 and the economic cost
of AUD to be $249 billion. Current
treatments for AUD include a combination of cognitive behavioral
therapy, medication, and other counseling. Highlighting the need
for more effective and better tolerated treatments, only 362,000
(1.3%) of patients with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) receive
treatment with a medication.
"We are delighted to receive this investment from ABMRF in
recognition of our innovative approach to the treatment of alcohol
and other substance use disorders. This investment, combined with
the grant to support the Investigational New Drug (IND)-enabling
and early stage development of ANS-858 made from the National
Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA, an Institute of
the National Institutes of Health (NIH)) under Award Number
U43AA030689, further validates our innovative approach and enables
the timely development of ANS-858 as an anti-craving therapy for
AUD and other harmful cravings." said Brent
Blackburn, PhD, Amygdala co-founder and CEO.
About ANS-858
ANS-858, a new chemical entity, works in the brain's 'neural
interface between motivation and action' to reduce the dopamine
surge responsible for craving. Inhibition of ALDH2 has been shown
to reduce craving and drug seeking behavior in preclinical studies
against multiple addictive agents and has the potential for use as
pharmacotherapy for substance use disorders (SUD), binge-eating,
and anxiety associated with these disorders. Preclinical and
available clinical data demonstrate the potential of selective,
reversible ALDH2 inhibition as a promising target for treatment of
AUD. Amygdala Neurosciences is developing ANS-858, a proprietary,
potent, selective, and reversible inhibitor of ALDH2, for the safe
treatment of AUD.
About ABMRF
ABMRF/The Foundation for Alcohol Research was established in
1982 as an independent philanthropic organization dedicated to the
development and dissemination of new knowledge about the
biological, behavioral and social aspects of alcohol consumption.
Since that time, it has developed into the largest, independent
non-profit foundation in North
America devoted solely to funding research on the effects of
alcohol on health and behavior, and to the prevention of problems
related to alcohol abuse.
About Amygdala Neurosciences Inc.
Amygdala Neurosciences is developing ANS-858 to curb craving.
Its mission is to treat individuals who experience harmful cravings
associated with chemicals of addiction and food. The company was
formed based on technology discovered and developed by members of
the companies' leadership team while at CV Therapeutics and
acquired from Gilead Sciences.
For further Information visit www.amygns.com
The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does
not necessarily represent the
official views of the National Institutes of Health.
SOURCE: ABMRF, The Foundation for Alcohol Research,
and Amygdala Neurosciences Inc
Related Links
https://www.abmrf.org/, http://www.amygns.com
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SOURCE Amygdala Neurosciences Inc.