NIH grant to help fast-track Neurodon’s Alzheimer’s drug development research

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A $2 million grant from the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health to Neurodon, a Purdue University-affiliated startup, will help fast-track molecules that could improve memory and reduce Alzheimer’s disease neurodegeneration.

The Neurodon team is working with scientists at Purdue and Northwestern University on targeted neuroprotective molecules. The molecules have been shown in lab studies to improve memory and cognition in preclinical models of Alzheimer’s disease by preserving calcium ion balance in neurons and offering a new therapeutic strategy for neurodegeneration drug development.

“We are on a mission to find a cure for Alzheimer’s and do not plan to stop until we succeed,” said Russell Dahl, chief executive officer of Neurodon. “This grant will help us move forward and much closer to human trials.”

The Phase II grant comes after team members successfully completed the Phase I work, where they narrowed down the molecules to select a few of the most promising candidates to help Alzheimer’s patients.

“We have brought together scientists and researchers from Purdue and Northwestern who have the expertise to move this forward and eventually provide new options for patients and their families,” Dahl said.

Wendy Koss, an experienced researcher at Purdue, and Gary Schiltz, a research professor at Northwestern, will help direct the studies.

Colleen Mauger, a Purdue alumna and registered nurse who has clinical experience treating patients with various chronic diseases, including Alzheimer’s, is also on the Neurodon team.

Dahl will work closely with the Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience.

Neurodon, a biotech startup located in the Purdue Research Park of Northwest Indiana, is working toward discovering neuroprotective drugs. Dahl and his team research treatments to different cell death illnesses, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

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About Neurodon

Neurodon is developing disease-modifying drugs for neurodegeneration, diabetes, and other life-threatening diseases. Neurodon deploys its proprietary endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-based technology platform to discover small molecules that can reduce the cellular dysfunction that is the root cause of many diseases. For more information, visit

http://www.

neurodon.

net

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About Purdue Research Foundation

The Purdue Research Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation created to advance the mission of Purdue University. Established in 1930, the foundation accepts gifts; administers trusts; funds scholarships and grants; acquires property; protects Purdue’s intellectual property; and promotes entrepreneurial activities on behalf of Purdue. The foundation manages the Purdue Foundry, Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization, Purdue Research Park, Purdue Technology Centers and University Development Office. In 2020, the IPWatchdog Institute ranked Purdue third nationally in startup creation and in the top 20 for patents. The foundation received the 2019 Innovation and Economic Prosperity Universities Award for Place from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. For more information on licensing a Purdue innovation, contact the Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization at

[email protected]

. For more information about involvement and investment opportunities in startups based on a Purdue innovation, contact the Purdue Foundry at

[email protected]

. For more information about setting up a presence at Purdue, possibly in the Purdue Research Park or Discovery Park District, contact the PRF Economic Development Office at

[email protected]

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About Purdue University

Purdue University is a top public research institution developing practical solutions to today’s toughest challenges. Ranked the No. 6 Most Innovative University in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, Purdue delivers world-changing research and out-of-this-world discovery. Committed to hands-on and online, real-world learning, Purdue offers a transformative education to all. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue has frozen tuition and most fees at 2012-13 levels, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap at purdue.edu.

Writer: Chris Adam,

[email protected]

Source: Russell Dahl,

[email protected]