Galmed Announces Breakthrough Brain-Penetrating Formulation of Aramchol for CNS Disorders
Galmed Pharmaceuticals Ltd. has announced the development of a brain-penetrating formulation of its SCD1 inhibitor, Aramchol, designed for potential use in central nervous system (CNS) diseases including Parkinson’s disease.
The new formulation encapsulates Aramchol within lipid nanoparticles intended to enable transport across the blood–brain barrier (BBB), a major obstacle in CNS drug development.
The delivery system is administered via subcutaneous injection and has been co-developed with Barcode Nanotech, which applied its in vivo screening platform and artificial intelligence tools to identify optimal nanoparticle carriers for brain delivery.
Aramchol is being investigated as a potential disease-modifying therapy for synucleinopathies, including Parkinson’s disease, multiple system atrophy, and dementia with Lewy bodies, conditions characterised by α-synuclein aggregation and currently lacking curative treatments.
Preclinical findings suggest SCD1 inhibition may reduce α-synuclein accumulation and associated neuroinflammatory processes.
The collaboration has produced a formulation designed to improve CNS bioavailability and targeted delivery.
Galmed plans to advance the programme into a Phase 1b/2 proof-of-concept study in Parkinson’s disease, subject to regulatory guidance, with initiation targeted for the second half of 2026.
The companies state that the approach combines lipid nanoparticle engineering and AI-driven screening to enable targeted brain delivery of therapeutics previously limited by poor BBB penetration.
