Neuraltus Pharmaceuticals

Neuraltus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. operated as a privately-held biopharmaceutical firm with a focus on creating treatments for neurodegenerative diseases. The company was founded in 2004 and established its headquarters in Palo Alto, California. Roland E. Dolle, Ph.D., served as a co-founder and held the position of Vice President of Chemistry.

The company's primary efforts were directed towards developing and commercializing therapeutics for conditions with significant unmet medical needs, particularly amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Neuraltus' business model centered on advancing its drug candidates through the rigorous clinical trial process, a capital-intensive and lengthy endeavor typical of the biopharmaceutical industry. The ultimate goal was to gain regulatory approval and bring a new treatment to market for patients suffering from neurodegenerative disorders. The company engaged with global ALS specialists and patient advocacy groups to guide its clinical development strategy.

Its lead drug candidate was NP001, a small molecule regulator of macrophage activation. In individuals with ALS, inflammation in the central nervous system involves activated macrophages that can be toxic to neurons. NP001 was designed to convert these pro-inflammatory macrophages back to their normal, non-inflammatory state, thereby aiming to slow the progression of the disease and reduce neuronal damage. Despite promising initial studies, NP001 unfortunately failed to meet its primary and secondary endpoints in a Phase 2 clinical trial involving 138 ALS patients. Following the announcement of these trial results in early 2018, Neuraltus Pharmaceuticals ultimately ceased operations.

Keywords: biopharmaceutical, neurodegenerative diseases, ALS treatment, clinical trials, macrophage regulator, drug development, NP001, neuroinflammation, therapeutics, Palo Alto