Amygdala Acquires Gilead’s Addiction Disorder Candidiate

Amygdala Neurosciences Inc., a biopharma company developing drug candidates for addiction disorders, has entered into an agreement with Gilead Sciences to acquire GS-6637, a highly selective ALDH2 inhibitor with the potential to treat behavior and substance addictions based on a mechanism of action that prevents dopamine surges and associated craving without changes to basal dopamine.  

“Completion of this transaction launches Amygdala Neurosciences with a Phase-2 ready asset that we believe has the potential to become a treatment for addiction,” said Peter Strumph, Amygdala’s co-founder and chief executive officer. “In 2017, we look forward to initiating clinical trials for the treatment of both cocaine and alcohol use disorders.”

“Preventing relapse is a critical treatment objective. When exposed to stimuli associated with drug use, addicts experience a pathophysiologic dopamine surge that leads to craving and promotes drug relapse,” said Ivan Diamond, MD, Ph.D., and Amygdala’s co-founder and CSO. “In animal studies, GS-6637 decreased drug use and relapse by preventing the stimuli induced pathophysiologic dopamine surges which result in craving and drug seeking behavior.”