BvFTD is a debilitating disorder that leads to progressive cognitive decline, personality changes and impaired social behavior.
Psilera, a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel treatments for neurological disorders, announced the selection of behavioral-variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) as the lead indication for its drug candidate, PSIL-006.
bvFTD, a devastating form of early-onset dementia, currently lacks approved treatments to manage symptoms or slow disease progression, the company noted.
BvFTD is a debilitating disorder that leads to progressive cognitive decline, personality changes and impaired social behavior. It typically affects individuals as young as 40 years old, causing significant distress to patients and their families.
“Selecting bvFTD as the lead indication for PSIL-006 is a significant milestone for Psilera and a major step forward in our mission to address unmet medical needs in mental health,” said Dr. Jackie von Salm, co-founder and CSO of Psilera. “After having personal experience with this rare and devastating form of dementia, we aim to make a meaningful impact on the lives of patients and their families who are left without any treatment options.”
Dr. Chris Witowski, co-founder and CEO of Psilera, noted that PSIL-006 “has shown significant promise in preclinical studies and addresses treatment-limiting side effects for neurodegenerative conditions such as bvFTD.”
“Our differentiated approach in an area of high unmet need enables us to investigate PSIL-006 as a potential first-in-class drug for bvFTD,” Witowksi added.
Psilera said the company is actively engaged in preclinical studies to further evaluate the safety and efficacy of PSIL-006.
Featured image courtesy of Psilera