Connecta Therapeutics receives funding to expand therapeutic indications for its FXS drug CTH120
Connecta Therapeutics, a biotechnology company that specialises in the discovery and development of new treatments for unmet central nervous system (CNS) needs, has been granted €247,577 in funding through the Neotec programme, managed by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI), in its 2021 call for projects.
This funding will go towards advancing Connecta’s business plan, by exploring new therapeutic indications in the CNS field and launching the paediatric plan for its pre-clinical asset CTH120.
CTH120 is a neuroplasticity modulator, designed using artificial intelligence tehniques, that has been shown to improve cognitive abilities and reverse social interaction impairments observed in neurodevelopmental disorders. In 2022, Connecta Therapeutics will start Phase I clinical trials for CTH120 in Fragile X Syndrome (FXS), for which it has received the orphan drug designation from the European Medicines Agency.
Dr Josep Prous, jr, co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Connecta Therapeutics, stated: “We’re very satisfied to become part of the prestigious list of start-up companies to receive Neotec funding. This recognition validates and reinforces our development plan for Fragile X Syndrome and will allow us to explore CTH120’s potential benefit in other CNS conditions.”
The 2021 Neotec call for projects granted €36,5 million to 125 companies to support the creation and consolidation of technology-based companies in Spain under the framework of the EU Next Generation funds. The health sector received more than 30% of the funding.
Fragile X syndrome
Fragile X syndrome is a hereditary genetic disorder linked to the X chromosome that causes intellectual disability and emotional and social problems ranging from mild to severe issues, such as hyperactivity, anxiety, aggressive behaviours, and autism. Its prevalence is estimated at less than 3 patients per 10,000 inhabitants. The syndrome is diagnosed in newborns or in childhood through DNA blood tests, but there is no specific treatment directed at the cause of the disease, only treatments to help relieve its symptoms.
CTH120
Fragile X syndrome is due to a mutation that leads to a FMRP protein deficiency, which plays an important role in the plasticity and maturation of synaptic connections between neurons, facts that seem to be related to the intellectual disability and symptoms of those affected. Preclinical studies have demonstrated Connecta Therapeutics’ CTH120, designed using artificial intelligence techniques, is a good neuroplasticity modulator. The drug has also been shown to enhance cognitive capacity and improve autistic signs and symptoms such as social interaction issues.
About Connecta Therapeutics
Connecta Therapeutics is a biotechnology company that is developing new treatments for unmet medical needs involving the central nervous system. It is initially focused on developing a first-in-class drug to treat fragile X syndrome. It was founded in Barcelona in 2019 by Prous Institute for Biomedical Research, Josep Prous, David Prous and Jordi Fàbrega. In 2020
Connecta Therapeutics obtained an investment round led by Inveready and supported by the CDTI Innvierte programme. Its headquarters are located at the Barcelona Science Park.