Midland Pharmaceuticals

Midland Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company, established in February 2024, with a focus on developing treatments for significant neurodegenerative disorders. The company was co-founded by researchers from the University of Birmingham and the University of Sheffield in collaboration with NLC Health Ventures. The founding team includes Professor Zubair Ahmed, Professor Arshad Majid, and CEO Dr. Peter D. Suzdak, who brings experience in guiding companies through clinical development.

The company's primary therapeutic candidate is MLP-1236, a first-in-class dual inhibitor of the MMP-9 and MMP-12 enzymes. These enzymes are involved in the inflammatory processes that follow central nervous system injuries. By inhibiting these enzymes, MLP-1236 aims to address the underlying neuronal damage in conditions like spinal cord injury and ischemic stroke, which represents a major unmet medical need as current treatments often only provide modest symptomatic relief. MLP-1236 has completed Phase 1 and Phase 2a clinical studies, where it was found to be safe and well-tolerated. In preclinical models, the drug demonstrated effectiveness in reversing pathologies associated with spinal cord injuries and reducing brain tissue death in stroke models.

Based in London, UK, Midland Pharmaceuticals operates as a venture capital-backed private company and is a subsidiary of NLC Ventures Netherlands. Following a seed funding round in July 2024, the company is preparing to initiate a Phase 2b clinical proof-of-concept trial for MLP-1236 in patients with spinal cord injuries, with another trial for stroke also being planned.

Keywords: neurodegenerative disorders, spinal cord injury, ischemic stroke, clinical-stage, pharmaceutical, drug development, MLP-1236, MMP inhibitor, central nervous system, NLC Health Ventures