Cadent Therapeutics initiates phase 1 clinical study

On March 12, 2018, Cadent Therapeutics, a precision neuroscience company developing novel medicines to restore movement and cognitive function in patients with neurological and psychiatric disease, announced the initiation of a Phase 1 clinical study for its lead product candidate CAD-1883. The compound is a selective first-in-class positive allosteric modulator of the small conductance calcium-activated potassium (SK) channel.

“This is an important step in the development of meaningful new therapies for people with movement disorders,” said Michael Curtis, PhD, President and CEO of Cadent Therapeutics. “We have shown that allosteric modulation of the SK channel restores cadence to neuronal firing and is efficacious in disease models of ataxia and tremor. Our hope is that by precisely tuning dysregulated neuronal firing, we can reduce disability and restore motor function in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia and essential tremor.”

In patients with spinocerebellar ataxia and essential tremor, the firing pattern of neurons in the cerebellum has become dysregulated, resulting in the loss of motor control, impacting mobility and fine motor function. By changing the calcium sensitivity of SK channels, CAD-1883 causes potassium current to flow at lower calcium concentrations, restoring neuronal firing regularity and improving motor function.

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