Psilera Collaborates with Drug Development Leader Hesperos to Advance Preclinical Modeling of PSIL-006 for Frontotemporal Dementia
Strategic agreement underscores Psilera's commitment to advancing PSIL-006 with precision neurology approach
Results are expected in Q3 2025
ORLANDO, Fla. and TAMPA, Fla., June 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Psilera, Inc. ("Psilera"), a biotechnology company developing groundbreaking therapies for hard-to-treat neurological disorders and Hesperos Inc., a leader in organ-on-a-chip technology, today announced a strategic agreement to accelerate the preclinical development of Psilera's lead compound, PSIL-006, targeting frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
The partnership leverages Hesperos' proprietary Human-on-a-Chip® platform, which integrates patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into interconnected, multi-organ systems. This advanced modeling approach enables precise evaluation of drug efficacy and safety, recently touted by the FDA to reduce reliance on animal testing and expedite clinic-ready datasets.
"Our collaboration with Hesperos represents a significant step forward in our mission to develop new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases," said Dr. Jackie von Salm, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Psilera. "Utilizing their cutting-edge platform allows us to gain deeper insights into PSIL-006's mechanism of action as we design our upcoming first-in-human trials."
Hesperos' platform has been recognized for its ability to replicate human physiological responses, providing valuable data on drug interactions across multiple organ systems. The platform has successfully supported multiple Investigational New Drug (IND) and Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) applications, demonstrating its utility in advancing drug candidates toward clinical evaluation.
"We are excited to partner with Psilera as they advance next-generation neuroplastogens to potentially treat a range of hard-to-treat diseases," said Dr. James Hickman, Co-Founder and Chief Scientist at Hesperos. "Our platform offers a unique opportunity to assess the compound's effects on neural tissues derived from patients with neurodegeneration, potentially accelerating the development of a much-needed therapy utilizing clinically relevant functional readouts."
FTD is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with limited treatment options. The integration of next-generation neuroplastogen, PSIL-006, with Hesperos' advanced biological platform aims to develop targeted treatments to address this unmet medical need. Results from Psilera's preclinical modeling are expected in Q3 2025.
About Psilera
Psilera is a biopharmaceutical company developing groundbreaking therapeutics for hard-to-treat neurodegenerative diseases. By utilizing their proprietary neuroplastogen drug design platform, Psilera has amassed a leading pipeline of next-generation assets including PSIL-006, a first-in-class therapeutic for the treatment of frontotemporal dementia (FTD). With a deep commitment to scientific excellence and patient centricity, Psilera is transforming the lives of individuals affected by devastating neurodegenerative diseases. Welcome to the new era of mindful medicine. For more information visit www.psilera.com.
About Hesperos Inc.
Hesperos is a global contract research organization (CRO) specializing in preclinical drug development services utilizing its Human-on-a-Chip® platform. By replicating key aspects of human biology (and thus avoiding expensive, time-consuming, and often less informative animal testing), Human-on-a-Chip® organ-system models provide product development teams with more meaningful insights that can accurately predict an agent's therapeutic profile while lowering costs and accelerating development timelines. For more information, visit www.hesperosinc.com.
Media Contacts:
Psilera Inc.
Michael Lauer
MDL Strategic Communications
michael@mdlcomms.com
Hesperos Inc.
Nathan Post
npost@hesperosinc.com
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SOURCE Psilera, Inc