The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke granted Cambria a Phase I SBIR award to identify small molecule compounds that protect against cellular damage caused by the mutant SOD1 protein. The ALS Association awarded Cambria a multi-year, multi-million dollar grant as part of a milestone-driven program that will include lead optimization, pharmacology, and preclinical transition to an investigational new drug application for novel compounds that block protein aggregation and resulting cellular damage.
The ALS Therapy Alliance will fund a project to test orally available small molecule compounds discovered by Cambria researchers for efficacy in preclinical animal models of ALS. The Jain Foundation has awarded Cambria a grant to establish a drug discovery program for type 2A limb girdle muscular dystrophy.
Leo Liu, president and CEO of Cambria Biosciences, said: “Neurodegenerative diseases are among the greatest unmet needs in medicine. We are therefore delighted to be part of a new paradigm of cooperation between biotechnology companies and non-profit organizations to attack these debilitating and life-threatening disorders.”