Shares of Galmed Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (GLMD) jumped more than 91% in pre-market trading following the company's announcement of a breakthrough brain-penetrating formulation of its SCD1 inhibitor, Aramchol.
A New Approach to CNS Diseases
Most drugs fail to reach the brain due to the blood-brain barrier. Galmed, in collaboration with Barcode Nanotech, has developed a proprietary lipid nanoparticle formulation of Aramchol designed to cross this barrier. This innovation positions Aramchol as a potential disease-modifying therapy for Parkinson's disease, dementia, and other synucleinopathies, which currently lack effective treatments.
Aramchol targets stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1), a protein linked to the aggregation of a-synuclein, a hallmark of Parkinson's and related disorders. In preclinical studies, Aramchol demonstrated dose-dependent reduction of a-synuclein aggregation without toxicity, suggesting it could slow or prevent disease progression.
Next Steps
Galmed plans to advance the new formulation into proof-of-concept Phase 1b/2 studies in Parkinson's patients in the second half of 2026, pending regulatory guidance.
CEO's Perspective
Allen Baharaff, Galmed's Co-founder and CEO, said: "The largest challenge in developing innovative CNS therapeutics is delivering these molecules to the brain. I am excited to report today the fruits of our collaboration with Barcode Nanotech, advancing our lead compound Aramchol as a first- in-class brain-penetrating SCD1 inhibitor."
GLMD has traded between $0.41 and $2.68 over the past year. The stock closed Wednesday's trading at $0.62, up 9.17%. In pre-market trading the stock is at $1.20, up 91%.
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