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Galmed Announces the Breakthrough Development of a Brain Penetrating New Formulation of its SCD1 inhibitor, Aramchol
98% of drugs do not reach the brain, as the blood–brain barrier (BBB) separates peripheral blood circulation from the central nervous system (CNS).Galmed has
About this update from Galmed Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
[{"type":"text","content":"98% of drugs do not reach the brain, as the blood–brain barrier (BBB) separates peripheral blood circulation from the central nervous system (CNS).Galmed has developed, in collaboration with Barcode Nanotech, a unique proprietary formulation of Aramchol which targets the brain. By crossing the BBB, this new Aramchol formulation could become a disease modifying therapy for unmet chronic CNS diseases.Stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD1) has been identified as an important therapeutic target for CNS diseases (Parkinson disease and dementia) which are characterized by the aggregation of the protein α-synuclein (αSyn). In-vitro studies have demonstrated that Aramchol effectively down-regulated αSyn-aggregation in a dose dependent manner.RAMAT-GAN, Israel, April 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Galmed Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (NASDAQ: GLMD) (\"Galmed\" or the \"Company\"), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company for liver, cardiometabolic diseases and GI oncological therapeutics, announced today the breakthrough development of a brain penetrating new formulation of Aramchol. Crossing of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is an essential step to achieve effective treatment effects in Parkinson disease (PD) and other CNS diseases. The new Aramchol formulation is characterized by sequestration of the Aramchol in lipid nanoparticles which will be administered by subcutaneous injection for delivery across the BBB.\nThis new Aramchol formulation was co-developed by Galmed and Barcode Nanotech, based on Barcode Nanotech's unique and proprietary platform which enables simultaneous screening of hundreds of different nanoparticle formulations in vivo, coupled with AI analysis tools to select the optimal delivery vehicle to the brain.There are currently no disease-modifying therapies available for treatment of PD or related synucleinopathies such as multiple systems atrophy (MSA) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). These diseases are each characterized by presence of Lewy bodies enriched in αSyn protein and are thus collectively known as synucleinopathies. Recent evidence from cell-based screens of αSyn toxicity has identified stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1) as a potential target for treatment of synucleinopathies.Based on the evidence for the role of SCD1 inhibition in mitigating synucleinopathies, Galmed's breakthrough medicinal chemistry work converting Aramcho...