Praetego

Praetego, a preclinical-stage pharmaceutical company, was founded in 2017 by CEO Pepper Landson, a healthcare executive with three decades of experience in drug development. The company, based in Durham, North Carolina, is focused on developing therapies to address chronic diseases associated with aging, with a primary emphasis on neurodegeneration. Praetego’s business model is centered on the in-house development of drug candidates, navigating them through preclinical and early clinical stages, with the ultimate goal of securing a partnering or licensing deal with a larger pharmaceutical company for late-stage development and commercialization.

The company's core technology revolves around a class of potent, oral small molecules called Amadorins, which were developed internally. This technology targets the formation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), also known as glycotoxins, which are generated during glucose metabolism and contribute to organ damage by promoting protein aggregation, chronic inflammation, and oxidative stress. Amadorins work by inhibiting the oxidation of glycated proteins, a key early step in the damaging cascade, thereby limiting the production of harmful by-products like reactive oxygen species (ROS) and free radicals. Unlike therapies that target single receptors, Amadorins offer a broader protective mechanism. The intellectual property for this technology is covered by multiple patents, expected to provide coverage until at least 2040.

Praetego's lead drug candidate is PTG-630, which has demonstrated neuroprotective effects in multiple preclinical models. The initial clinical focus for PTG-630 is the treatment of early-stage Alzheimer's disease (AD). Following a pre-Investigational New Drug (IND) meeting with the FDA in December 2023, the company plans to file an IND in late 2024. The proposed clinical trial strategy involves a Phase 1 study followed by a Phase 2 trial focused on diabetic patients with mild cognitive impairment, a group at higher risk for AD. Beyond Alzheimer's, PTG-630 has also shown potential in preclinical models for treating diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) and diabetic retinopathy.

Since its inception, Praetego has raised approximately $7 million. The majority of this funding, around $6 million, has come from non-dilutive awards from several National Institutes of Health (NIH) institutions, including the NIA, NIDDK, and NEI, to advance the Amadorin platform against various age-related diseases. The remaining capital was contributed by the founders, angel investors, and state grants. The company is currently seeking to raise a $5 million seed round to finance IND-enabling studies and prepare for clinical trials, to be followed by a projected $26 million Series A round to fund Phase 1 and 2 studies.

Keywords: neurodegenerative diseases, Amadorins, advanced glycation end-products, AGE inhibitors, Alzheimer's disease therapeutics, diabetic complications, PTG-630, preclinical pharmaceutical, drug development, glycotoxins, oxidative stress, diabetic retinopathy, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, small molecule drugs, neuroprotection, Pepper Landson, Raja G. Khalifah, clinical trials, metabolic diseases, age-related diseases