Galmed Pharmaceuticals announced the development of a novel brain-penetrating formulation of its stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1) inhibitor, Aramchol, designed to enable therapeutic delivery across the blood–brain barrier (BBB) for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. The formulation was created in collaboration with Barcode Nanotech, leveraging that company’s proprietary lipid nanoparticle and AI-based screening platform.
Aramchol’s new formulation utilizes lipid nanoparticle sequestration and is administered subcutaneously, allowing for systemic absorption and targeted transport into the brain. Galmed reports that in vitro studies demonstrated Aramchol’s ability to down-regulate α-synuclein (αSyn) aggregation in a dose-dependent manner—an important mechanism implicated in Parkinson disease (PD), multiple system atrophy (MSA), and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). These conditions, collectively known as synucleinopathies, lack disease-modifying treatment options.
“Delivering molecules effectively to the brain remains one of the largest challenges in CNS drug development,” said Allen Baharaff, Co-founder and CEO of Galmed. “Our collaboration with Barcode Nanotech has enabled a first-in-class brain-penetrating SCD1 inhibitor, with in vitro results supporting Aramchol’s potential to reduce αSyn aggregation and associated neuroinflammation.”
Barcode Nanotech CEO Ronen Eavri added that the company’s nanoparticle library and AI-driven in vivo screening platform were key to identifying a formulation able to cross the BBB and target disease-relevant brain regions. Galmed plans to advance the brain-penetrating Aramchol formulation into a Phase 1b/2 proof-of-concept study in Parkinson disease patients in the second half of 2026.
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