Lead candidate Risvodetinib (ABLi-148009) is an oral, once-daily, potent, brain-penetrant, selective c-Abl kinase inhibitor that is the first to drive clearance of disease pathology in human Parkinson’s disease
ABLi’s proprietary Re-engineering Approach with Metabolism Preserved (RAMP™) drug innovation engine facilitates the development of selective c-Abl inhibitors with enhanced penetration into the brain for the treatment of a range of neurodegenerative diseases
ATLANTA and BOSTON, May 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ABLi Therapeutics (“ABLi”), a biotechnology company developing therapeutics to address diseases that arise from activation of Abelson Tyrosine Kinases (c-Abl kinases), launched today with the mission of developing its lead product candidate, Risvodetinib (ABLi-148009), as a potential disease-modifying therapy for Parkinson’s and Parkinson’s-related diseases and a portfolio of second-generation product candidates.
ABLi was founded by Dr. Milton H. Werner, an internationally recognized scientist and pioneer of the scientific understanding of c-Abl kinases and their involvement in a diverse range of diseases. Dr. Werner and his team of drug development experts discovered and developed risvodetinib and its follow-ons over the past 10 years. ABLi aims to improve patients’ lives by creating disease modifying therapies that are administered chronically and systemically.
“The largest unmet medical need for Parkinson’s patients is to halt or reverse the course of the disease,” said Dr. Werner, Chief Executive Officer of ABLi. “Our RAMP™ drug innovation engine facilitated the development of risvodetinib and a portfolio of novel c-Abl inhibitors that are selective for the non-receptor c-Abl kinases, have greater potency and safety than commercially marketed c-Abl kinase inhibitors, and reach therapeutic concentrations inside and outside of the brain. The c-Abl inhibitors that have emerged from our development engine have proven safety and tolerability and have shown preliminary efficacy in Parkinson’s-related diseases. In this endeavor, we are pleased to be supported by the distinguished members of our scientific advisory board who will assist ABLi in advancing the forefront of scientific knowledge in Parkinson’s disease and related disorders.”
Veteran Leadership Team
ABLi is launching with a world-class leadership team with deep expertise in innovative drug development and successful company financing.
Milton H. Werner, PhD, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Garth Lees-Rolfe, Chief Financial Officer
Karl Kieburtz, MD, MPH, Interim Chief Medical Officer
In addition, ABLi’s Scientific Advisory Board includes world-leading experts Dr. Robert Hauser, MD, Dr. Jeffrey Kordower, PhD, Dr. Ken Marek, Dr. Karl Kieburtz, MD, MPH, Dr. Wolfgang Singer, MD, and Dr. Wassilios Meissner, MD.
About Risvodetinib (ABLi-148009)
Risvodetinib is a potent, selective small-molecule inhibitor of the non-receptor c-Abl kinases, designed for once-daily oral use that targets the underlying biological mechanisms driving Parkinson’s disease initiation and progression. Risvodetinib is believed to be a disease-modifying therapy that halts disease progression and reverses the functional loss arising from Parkinson’s disease inside and outside of the brain. All marketed therapeutic approaches to treat Parkinson’s help manage the symptoms of the disease, but there are currently no available treatments to slow or stop the disease’s relentless progression. Recently, risvodetinib was the first monotherapy to improve patient quality of life in a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial (NCT NCT05424276) and simultaneously reduced the underlying disease pathology in untreated Parkinson’s disease. Risvodetinib currently has intellectual property protection beyond 2036.
About ABLi Therapeutics
ABLi Therapeutics (“ABLi”) applies innovative medicinal chemistry and a deep understanding of disease biology to develop small molecule therapeutics that target the cause of diseases that arise from activation or dysfunction of the Abelson Tyrosine Kinases (c-Abl). Leveraging its expertise in drug design, ABLi utilizes clinically validated data of kinase inhibitors to design and develop novel product candidates with enhanced penetration into the brain, greater potency and target selectivity, and improved safety to treat diseases in which Abl kinase activation or dysfunction is implicated. The Company’s primary focus is on developing therapeutics for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s disease and the Parkinson’s-related neurodegenerative diseases Multiple System Atrophy and Dementia with Lewy Body that are all associated with Abl kinase activation or dysfunction. For more information visit www.ablitherapeutics.com or follow us on LinkedIn.
Contacts:
For ABLi Therapeutics
Milton H Werner PhD
Chairman & CEO
info@ablitherapeutics.com
Investor/Media
Mike Moyer
Managing Director – LifeSci Advisors
mmoyer@lifesciadvisors.com
