Athira Pharma Doses First Subject in Phase 1 Clinical Trial of HGF/MET Positive Modulator
Athira Pharma, Inc. recently announced that the first subject has been dosed in a Phase 1 clinical trial investigating ATH-1020, an orally available, brain-penetrant small molecule for neuropsychiatric conditions.
“This first-in-human study of ATH-1020, our second clinical product candidate, represents a significant milestone for Athira in the expansion of our clinical development pipeline and our first oral small molecule. Our novel approach targeting HGF/MET, and ATH-1020’s unique pharmacology and mechanism of action, may be particularly well suited for potential treatment of neuropsychiatric indications, as evidenced by the compelling preclinical data we have recently presented,” said Mark Litton, PhD, President and CEO of Athira Pharma. “We anticipate that the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetic data from this Phase 1 study will help inform our further assessment of the potential of ATH-1020 in future clinical indications.”
The Phase 1 (NCT05169671) randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study will enroll approximately 68 healthy volunteers and include single and multiple ascending dose evaluations. The study will investigate the safety and tolerability of ATH-1020 as the primary endpoint and includes pharmacokinetic outcomes.
ATH-1020 is an orally available, brain-penetrant small molecule designed to enhance the HGF/MET system, as a potential treatment candidate for neuropsychiatric indications. Preclinical data demonstrates that ATH-1020 may reduce depression-like behaviors and rescue mismatch negativity response, a translatable measure of event-related potential that shows consistent and robust deficits in both rodent models and schizophrenia patients (ASENT Annual Meeting 2022).
Athira, headquartered in the Seattle area, is a late clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing small molecules to restore neuronal health and slow neurodegeneration. Athira aims to provide rapid cognitive improvement and alter the course of neurological diseases with its novel mechanism of action. Athira is currently advancing its pipeline therapeutic candidates, targeting the HGF/MET neurotrophic system, for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, and neuropsychiatric indications. For more information, visit www.athira.com.
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