Firm has the right to select compounds for clinical development.
Seaside Therapeutics granted a $4.5 million collaborative research contract with Vanderbilt University Medical Center to discover compounds to suppress the manifestations of fragile X syndrome.
Past research has indicated that excessive signaling through metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 (mGluR5) may be responsible for the neurological and psychiatric consequences of fragile X syndrome.
Seaside believes that selective inhibition of this receptor could reduce or eliminate the devastating effects of this disease. Scientists at Vanderbilt have identified more than 400 novel compounds belonging to multiple chemical classes that inhibit mGluR5.
Vanderbilt researchers will use medicinal chemistry, molecular biology, pharmacology, and efficacy studies to discover and develop drug candidates. Seaside will contribute scientific and drug development expertise. The company will also select compounds from the collaboration to carry forward into clinical development.
