Neuropharmacology and New Drug Development
Neurology has an active cutting-edge research programme that is focused on developing novel pharmacotherapy for central nervous system (CNS) disorders involving neuronal injury and disturbances of neurobiological functions.
Currently, core research is centered on preclinical development of a novel lead neurotherapeutic compound (LC). LC has a unique groundbreaking design that enables the well-recognized, multifactorial, neurotherapeutic and homeostatic effects of the naturally-occurring neuropeptide thyrotrophin-releasing hormone (TRH) to be utilized in the clinic in ways that have not been previously possible. LC thereby offers an innovative multifunctional approach to the treatment of a wide range of CNS disorders, including acute and chronic neurodegenerative conditions, such as CNS trauma and Motor Neuron Disease (MND), and epilepsy. LC has significant and clinically relevant therapeutic benefit in several models of neurodegeneration and represents a very exciting advancement in drug development.
Neuropath Therapeutics Limited is a Trinity College Dublin (TCD) spin-out Company focused on the translational development of a promising lead compound as a potential drug for neurodegenerative diseases, such as Motor Neuron Disease. Dr Julie Kelly, Research Associate Professor in the Academic Unit of Neurology and Neuropath’s Founder and CEO, discovered this compound through her research at TCD into the central nervous system (CNS) effects and therapeutic potential of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH). The TRH signalling system in the CNS represents a novel therapeutic target for protecting against core pathologies involved in neurodegeneration. Neuropath’s initial objective is to advance this TRH-based lead compound from the laboratory to early-phase human clinical trials.