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April 12, 2022

Osmol Therapeutics lands $5.2M to develop neuropathy treatment

Photo | Yale University Barbara Ehrlich

New Haven-based Osmol Therapeutics announced Tuesday it had closed the first $5.2 million tranche of a $7.5 million Series A-1 financing round toward development of its treatment of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN).

Koax Investment Partners, a fund formed by the founders of Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, led the round.

Osmol’s lead drug candidate, OSM-0205, is based on research in neuronal calcium sensor-1 by Barbara Ehrlich, a professor of pharmacology at Yale and  Osmol’s Chief Scientific Advisor. The technology was licensed from Yale.

The drug is designed to prevent the off-target calcium surge caused by taxanes, a common chemotherapy drug, and other cancer treatments associated with peripheral neuropathy, or nerve damage.

“We believe that OSM-0205 has the potential to address the critical need for a therapy that can prevent CIPN, a condition that can be devastating for cancer patients,” said Dr. Robert Berman, executive chairman of Osmol. Up to 80% of taxane-treated patients with breast cancer have been reported to experience CIPN. 

There are currently no FDA-approved therapies for the prevention or treatment of CIPN, according to a company statement. 

Osmol also plans to explore use of its drug for chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment, also known as “chemobrain.” 

“OSM-0205 has the potential to provide similar protection to the central nervous system as these chemotherapy treatments cross the blood-brain barrier,” Berman said. 

Contact Liese Klein at lklein@newhavenbiz.com.

 

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