AZTherapies

About AZTherapies

AZTherapies, Inc., founded in 2011 by David Elmaleh, is a late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company based in Boston, Massachusetts, concentrated on developing treatments for neurodegenerative diseases. The company's scientific foundation is built upon technology licensed from Harvard/Massachusetts General Hospital, focusing on neuroinflammation as a primary contributor to neurodegeneration. Dr. Elmaleh, an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School and a recognized expert in molecular imaging, has founded several other biotech companies, including Puretech Health and Mersana. His extensive background in developing molecular imaging agents and his work in academia directly inform the company's approach to tackling complex neurological disorders.

The company operates by identifying and developing a pipeline of drug candidates targeting conditions with significant unmet needs. Its business model revolves around advancing these candidates through rigorous clinical trials to eventually secure regulatory approval and bring them to market, thereby generating revenue through drug sales. AZTherapies has successfully raised a total of $131 million over nine funding rounds to support its research and development efforts. A significant funding milestone was the Series C-1 financing round in September 2020, which raised $33.6 million and was led by Duopharma Biotech Berhad and Spinnaker Capital Group.

AZTherapies' lead candidate is ALZT-OP1, a combination therapy aimed at treating early Alzheimer's disease. This treatment takes a multi-modal approach by combining re-engineered versions of two previously approved drugs, cromolyn and ibuprofen, delivered via a dry-powder inhaler and an oral pill, respectively. The therapy is designed to suppress neuroinflammation and inhibit the formation of amyloid-beta protein aggregates, two key pathological features of Alzheimer's. In November 2020, the company completed its COGNITE Phase 3 clinical trial for ALZT-OP1, a 72-week global study involving over 600 participants. Beyond Alzheimer's, the company's pipeline includes candidates for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and cognitive impairment following an ischemic stroke.