A relative newcomer to the SBIR arena, in early February 2021, San Diego based Engrail Therapeutics⢠(Engrail) - itself only formed in 2019 - announced acquisition of the SBIR-involved firm NeuroCycle Therapeutics, a company focused on sub-type selective GABA-A modulation. Strengthening Engrailâs existing presence in the GABA-A space and providing a strong platform for initiation of clinical trials with multiple assets in 2021, NeuroCycle Therapeutics has been working on breakthough central nervous system (CNS) therapies for human and for animal patients: new small-molecule CNS therapeutics selectively targeting GABAA receptor: epilepsy and pain relief. The firm's drugs are designed to regulate neuron signaling with their lead candidate - NCT-10004 - being developed for treatment of itch in people and dogs. Also underway are drug discovery programs in pain and orphan epilepsies. Structured internally primarily around human conditions of Epilepsy - a spectrum disorder characterized by recurring, unprovoked seizures - and Neuropathic Pain (NeP) - a difficult-to-treat form of chronic pain that results from nerve damage, Neurocycle Therapeutics in 2019 signed an important licensing agreement with Bayer Animal health addressing advancement of an innovative allergy treatment options for companion animals under which Bayer will develop and commercialize novel compounds based on knowledge and intellectual property licensed and controlled by NC
