Skip to main content

Pompeu Fabra University has signed an agreement with Aelis Farma, a spin-off of the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), ceding to the French company the exclusive rights to develop and market an antagonist of the CB1 cannabinoid receptor. The antagonist molecule prevents and treats diseases that present with dendritic anomalies, including fragile X syndrome and Down’s syndrome, among others.

Head of the UPF Department of Experimental and Health Sciences (CEXS) Neuropharmacology Laboratory Rafael Maldonado and researcher Andrés Ozaita identified the CB1 cannabinoid receptor as a therapeutic target. Based on this fact, they showed that a receptor antagonist molecule could stabilize memory deficits, sensitivity to pain and relative abundance of mature connections between neurons, among other biochemical parameters associated with dendritic diseases.

The results, which are protected by the patent licensed to Aelis Farma, were initially obtained with models of fragile X syndrome, but have now been tested on other models including Down’s syndrome. These results open the doors to further development, and Aelis Farma is already working on a project to treat cannabis addiction based on derivatives of prenenolone.

Sign up for our newsletters

Stay up-to-date on the latest news, events and trends in the BioRegion.