Halia Therapeutics and Biolexis Therapeutics’ Partnership Successfully Identifies Novel Clinical Candidate Targeting NLRP3-Driven Neuroinflammation

July 31, 2024 |

3 min read

LEHI, Utah, July 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Halia Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering a novel class of small molecule medications designed to combat inflammation, and Biolexis Therapeutics, a biotechnology company specializing in AI-enabled drug discovery, today announced an ongoing collaboration that successfully identified a novel brain-penetrant small molecule candidate targeting NLRP3-driven neuroinflammation by leveraging Biolexis’ MolecuLern^™ AI-enabled approach. This milestone represents a significant advancement in developing treatments for neuroinflammatory disorders, including Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions.

“We are elated with the results of our partnership with Biolexis Therapeutics,” said David Bearss, Ph.D., President and CEO of Halia Therapeutics and Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board at Biolexis Therapeutics. “Biolexis’ innovative AI technology has enabled us to identify a highly promising and novel clinical candidate that has the potential to transform the treatment landscape for neuroinflammatory diseases. This collaboration highlights the promising power of integrating advanced AI tools with our expertise in neuroinflammation.”

Hariprasad Vankayalapati, Ph.D., CSO of Biolexis Therapeutics, added, “Collaborating with Halia Therapeutics has been a remarkable opportunity to showcase the capabilities of our MolecuLern process. We are excited about the potential of this new clinical candidate and eager to see it advance through the development pipeline to ultimately offer hope to patients with debilitating neurodegenerative diseases. This project also underscores the strength of our AI-enabled approach in accelerating the discovery of novel therapeutics.”

Biolexis Therapeutics’ MolecuLern AI-enabled approach has proven instrumental in discovering a number of potential and innovative therapeutic candidates with the desired efficacy and safety profiles for protein targets associated with various diseases with high unmet medical needs. The successful identification of a new clinical candidate is set to advance into further preclinical studies, aiming to offer a novel treatment option for neuroinflammatory disorders such as Parkinson’s disease. Neuroinflammatory disorders, characterized by chronic brain inflammation leading to progressive neuronal damage, pose significant clinical challenges. This new therapeutic approach seeks to overcome these challenges by addressing the root causes of these debilitating conditions specifically targeting NLRP3-driven neuroinflammation.

About Halia Therapeutics

Halia Therapeutics is discovering and developing a pipeline of novel therapeutics to improve patients’ lives with chronic inflammatory disorders and neurodegenerative diseases, with its initial programs targeting NEK7 and LRRK2. Halia’s lead candidate, HT-6184, a novel NEK7/NLRP3 inhibitor, has completed a Phase I study (NCT05447546) evaluating the safety and tolerability of HT-6184 when administered as single or multiple oral doses at escalating dose levels in healthy volunteer subjects. Halia also has 2 ongoing Phase II trials evaluating the efficacy of HT-6184 for the treatment of lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (LR-MDS) and on post-procedure diagnostic biomarkers of inflammation and pain (NCT06241742).

The company’s headquarters are in Lehi, Utah. For more information, visit www.haliatx.com or follow us on LinkedIn and X.

About Biolexis Therapeutics

Biolexis Therapeutics is a biotechnology company specializing in AI-enabled drug discovery. Utilizing its proprietary MolecuLern^™ process, Biolexis accelerates the identification and development of novel therapeutic candidates, addressing various medical challenges through leading-edge technology.

The company’s headquarters are in American Fork, Utah. For more information, visit www.biolexistx.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

Company Contacts:

James Dye

Director of Communications

Halia Therapeutics

Email: info@haliatx.com

Phone: +1.385.355.4315

Kyle Medley

Director Business Development

Biolexis Therapeutics

Email: kmedley@biolexistx.com

Phone: 435-893-5473