Praetego Inc Awarded $2.5M by the NIH National Institute of Aging to Advance Novel Drug Candidate Against Alzheimer's Disease

DURHAM, N.C., Oct. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- (https://www.praetego.com/) Praetego Inc, a pharmaceutical company committed to protecting patients from neurodegenerative diseases related to aging, is pleased to announce a $2.5M STTR award from the National Institute of Aging (NIA). The Phase 2 award advances Praetego's lead candidate, PTG-630, against Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Praetego's proprietary small molecule candidates ("Amadorins") recently demonstrated neuroprotection in the central and peripheral nervous systems in preclinical models of both AD and diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). Protection against mild cognitive impairment and biomarker evidence of neuronal benefit were found. The award allows Praetego to accelerate development of PTG-630 towards preventing the progression of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Praetego intends to file an IND in 2023.

Praetego's grant follows promising findings obtained during a supplemental award from the NIA targeted at novel AD therapeutics. It complements sequential awards from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) for PTG-630 in DPN and expands Praetego's on-going collaboration with the University of California at San Diego, School of Medicine. It also highlights the work of Co- Investigator Professor Corinne Jolivalt, a leading researcher in diseases of the Central Nervous System.

Praetego's proprietary "Amadorin" small molecules potently inhibit the formation of Advanced Glycation End-products (AGEs), known as glycotoxins. AGEs arise normally by sugar reactions with proteins and are exacerbated under hyperglycemic conditions. AGE formation initiates a cascade of cellular and tissue insults that lead to organ damage. AGEs promote oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis. AGE pathology is an established driver of neurodegeneration in diabetic complications and in chronic diseases of aging.

As potent AGE inhibitors, the Amadorins offer broad systemic protection. Unlike traditional small molecules, the Amadorins do not act upon a single target or receptor. Instead, they inhibit upstream oxidative reactions to prevent downstream extracellular and intracellular pathology.

The elucidation of the mechanisms of AGE formation and the design of therapeutic AGE inhibitors has been the career focus of Praetego's Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Raja G. Khalifah, the Principal Investigator of the award. Says Praetego's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Rachel Schindler, "This is an extremely innovative approach to inhibiting the pathogenesis of AD. The pathophysiology caused by AGEs is important in the generation of key pathological processes in the development of Alzheimer's disease, including amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles and neuroinflammation. It has also been demonstrated in animal models to be a key factor in other processes of aging and neurodegeneration. This ongoing support from the NIH has enabled Praetego to progress its novel scientific approach to disorders of aging and neurodegeneration, and specifically AD."

Praetego is a pharmaceutical company committed to improving health outcomes in diseases driven by AGE pathology. Our primary focus is neurodegenerative diseases associated with aging. Praetego is a privately held company located in Durham, NC.

SOURCE Praetego Inc