Cyxone, together with its academic partner Medical University of Vienna, has continued to investigate the drug candidate T20K in combination with a kappa opioid receptor agonist.

A combination which in pre-clinical experiments demonstrate promising synergistic therapeutic effects and potential disease modifying features in multiple sclerosis. The results build upon previous data which underpin a patent application to the European Patent Office that recently was made public.

A next generation drug candidate for MS

Cyxone is developing T20K – a next generation drug candidate for MS. New promising preclinical results building upon research from Cyxone’s academic partner Medical University of Vienna (MedUni Vienna) strengthens the evidence that T20K acts as a potent ligand to the kappa opioid receptor (kOR). The receptor has recently been identified to play an important role in remyelination of neurons and to be involved in immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory activities, making it a suitable drug target in the treatment of early and late stages of MS.

“We are very pleased that our collaboration with researchers at the Medical University of Vienna has generated additional data supporting the benefit of the T20K/kOR combination in a laboratory model. This data opens the possibility to treat a larger group of MS patients in the future and to address a wider range of complications and symptoms which arise due to the disease. Such opportunities could substantially increase the value for both patients and healthcare systems,” says Tara Heitner, CEO, Cyxone.

The new data supports the company’s patent application, which was submitted in March 2020 and is public since September 23, 2021, entitled “Cyclotides in combination with kappa opioid receptor ligands for MS therapy”. The patent concerns the combination of T20K and kOR agonists as a possible treatment in MS. The collaboration with MedUni Vienna is set to continue.

Photo of Tara Heitner: Cyxone