EydisBio Awarded $0.5 Million Grant to Advance TAK1 Inhibitor Program for Alzheimer's Disease

DURHAM, N.C., Oct. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- EydisBio, an innovative pharmaceutical company dedicated to developing novel treatments for various autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, is excited to announce that it has been awarded a $0.5 million Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Institute on Aging (NIA). This grant will support EydisBio's pioneering research into new therapeutic approaches for Alzheimer's disease, focusing on the inhibition of TGFβ-activated protein kinase 1 (TAK1). The project will be conducted in collaboration with Dr. Jun Ninomiya-Tsuji and her team at North Carolina State University who are focusing on understanding the molecular mechanisms of TAK1 and its role in driving various inflammatory-diseases.

For more information about EydisBio and their groundbreaking research, please visit www.eydisbio.com.

"We are deeply honored to receive this NIH grant and to collaborate with Dr. Jun Ninomiya-Tsuji and her distinguished team at North Carolina State University," said Dr. Tim Haystead, Founder and President of EydisBio. "This funding empowers us to investigate innovative approaches in Alzheimer's disease research, bringing us closer to developing effective treatments for this devastating condition. Together, we are dedicated to making a meaningful impact on the lives of patients and their families."

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects millions of people worldwide, leading to memory loss, cognitive decline, and ultimately, loss of independence. Current treatments offer limited symptomatic relief, and there is a critical need for innovative therapies that can slow or halt disease progression.

EydisBio's research focuses on targeting TAK1, a critical regulator of neuronal necrosis and neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease. Preliminary studies have shown that TAK1 signaling contributes to both neuroinflammatory and necroptotic pathways, which are key drivers of neuronal death in Alzheimer's disease. By inhibiting TAK1, EydisBio aims to reduce neuroinflammation and neuronal damage, offering a potential new strategy for treating the disease.

Key findings from EydisBio's preclinical work include:

• Identification of TAK1 as a critical mediator: TAK1 regulates TNF and glutamate signaling in neurons, switching from inflammatory to necroptotic signaling, which contributes to neuronal death.
  
  
• Efficacy of TAK1 inhibition: Genetic and pharmacological inhibition of TAK1 has been shown to rescue neuronal loss in preclinical models of Alzheimer's disease.
  
  
• Development of selective TAK1 inhibitors: EydisBio has developed a series of TAK1 inhibitors with low nanomolar potency, selectivity within the human kinome, and oral bioavailability. These inhibitors have demonstrated significant promise in reducing neuroinflammation and neuronal necrosis in preclinical studies.

The Phase I SBIR grant will fund further preclinical studies to validate these findings and identify lead compounds for future development. This project aims to generate critical preclinical data on the viability of targeting the TAK1 pathway as a novel therapy for Alzheimer's disease.

Media Contact: Robert Freeze, [email protected]

SOURCE EydisBio, Inc.