Gate Neurosciences announces new therapies targeting synaptic dysfunction in CNS disorders

Gate Neurosciences is developing a new portfolio of next-generation therapeutics to treat synaptic dysfunction in patients with central nervous system disorders, the company announced in a press release.

Since its founding in 2019, Gate has acquired new pharmaceutical technology and clinical trial data that will support future developments, the release stated.

“We formed Gate to bring forward precision medicine approaches to CNS disorders, such as biomarkers and enrichment for responders, similar to the early days of targeted oncology drug development,” Anantha Shekhar, MD, PhD, co-founder of Gate Neurosciences and John and Gertrude Petersen Dean of the School of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, said in the release. “Gate’s lead programs are supported by a uniquely robust package of clinical and translational data across thousands of patients, and we’re excited to continue advancing the molecules using deep precision insights.”

According to the release, Gate is focused on developing mechanisms that address synaptic dysfunction of neuropsychiatric and cognitive disorders, including major depressive disorder. The company’s lead programs are based on novel N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) modulators, with proven safety outcomes across multiple published clinical trials, the company stated.

Zelquistinel, one of Gate’s lead programs, is an oral third-generation NMDAR modulator that has completed several phase 1 EEG biomarker studies and an initial phase 2a dose-exploration study for MDD, according to the release. Gate also acquired global rights to the second-generation NMDAR modulator apimostinel, which is being developed for acute psychiatric indications based on results of a phase 2a proof-of-concept study.