SAN DIEGO, May 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Spinogenix, Inc., a preclinical stage, privately-held pharmaceutical company developing first-in-class drugs to reverse synapse loss and restore connections lost to neurodegenerative diseases, today announced a grant award by the National Institute of Health (NIH).  The grant award will fund research and development of a novel family of compounds to help restore the brain connections and functions lost in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related neurodegenerative disorders.

AD is a degenerative brain disease and the most common cause of dementia - accounting for an estimated 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases. The Alzheimer’s Association 2018 Report estimates that there will be 5.7 million people with dementia in the United States in 2018 with an estimated 14 million new cases of dementia by 2050, equivalent to one person every 3.2 seconds. 

“Spinogenix is extremely pleased to receive this grant award which provides rigorous peer-reviewed validation of our innovative approach to tackle AD.  This funding will help us further develop our drug candidates and bring a promising new class of therapeutics to the marketplace to treat not only AD but also related diseases that involve a loss of dendritic spine synapses”, said Stella Sarraf, Ph.D., Founder and Acting Chief Executive Officer.  

“Loss of dendritic spines is a major driver of cognitive decline in all neurodegenerative diseases as well as normal aging,” said Franz Hefti, Chairman of the Board. “Spinogenix is targeting the loci of changes underlying memory formation.”

Currently, none of the available treatments for AD or other neurodegenerative diseases reverse synapse loss.  With the support of this NIH grant, Spinogenix aims to further develop a new class of neurorestorative therapeutics to help treat patients with AD.

About Spinogenix

Spinogenix was founded in 2016 to address the urgent clinical need for novel drugs to combat diseases and conditions involving synaptic aging and loss. Our neurorestorative compounds are designed to restore synapses in order to enhance brain connections and improve memory. Current development is focused on therapeutic treatments for AD and traumatic brain injury/concussion. More information on Spinogenix can be found at www.spinogenix.com.

Disclosure

This project is supported by the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health under award number R43AG058278. The content is solely the responsibility of the Company and Principal Investigators and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Spinogenix Contact:

Stella Sarraf, PhD
Founder, Acting Chief Executive Officer
stella@spinogenix.com
858-256-6744