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Overview
- Orphan CNS diseases
Minoryx focuses on orphan diseases of the central nervous system (CNS), a large group of rare diseases often characterized by neurodegeneration and for which there are currently no treatments available. These diseases are usually chronic, progressively debilitating and often life-threatening, with high unmet medical need.
Some orphan CNS diseases are of genetic origin, but they can also be triggered by external unknown factors and may affect other organs in addition to the brain. Several complex, interplaying pathways are contributing to the neurodegenerative process: mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and neuro-inflammation all play an important role in neurodegeneration, independent of the underlying cause of disease. Research into novel effective treatments, like leriglitazone, addresses this complexity, rather than focus on a single pathway approach.
PPAR gamma controls multiple genes that are central to mitochondrial biogenesis, oxidative stress, inflammation, and myelination. The potential beneficial effects of PPAR gamma agonists in CNS disorders have been demonstrated preclinically in several orphan and non-orphan indications such as Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Diseases, Huntington’s Disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Stroke and Traumatic Brain Injury. However, to date clinical studies failed to show beneficial effects of PPAR gamma agonists in these indications, due to insufficient target engagement in the CNS.
Minoryx is developing leriglitazone, a differentiated and selective brain penetrant PPAR gamma agonist able to reach the required CNS exposure in humans. Minoryx is developing leriglitazone for the treatment of X-linked Adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD) and rare orphan diseases of the CNS with high unmet medical need. The marketing authorization application (MAA) for leriglitazone as a treatment for adult male X-ALD patients is under review by the EMA. Leriglitazone is also being evaluated in other rare CNS disorders.
- Our focusAdrenoleukodystrophy
X-linked Adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD) is an orphan neurodegenerative disease caused by a mutation in the ABCD1 gene. X-ALD presents two main neurologic phenotypes. The most common phenotype is adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN), characterized by progressive severe motor and sensory dysfunction and which affects young male adults and adult women. The acute form is cerebral ALD (cALD), characterized by brain inflammation, rapid progression to disability and early death, which occurs in children but also affects adult male patients with AMN.
Our focusOther CNS diseasesFRDA
Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA) is an orphan neurodegenerative genetic disease characterized by frataxin deficiency and resulting in mitochondrial dysfunction affecting the central nervous system and the heart. In the majority of cases, FRDA has an onset before the age of 25 and progressively impairs motor function, leading to ataxic gait, cardiac abnormalities and other medical co-morbidities.