A Placebo‐Controlled Phase I Study in Healthy Subjects Assessing NVG‐291, which Targets CNS Receptor Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase Sigma (PTPσ)

Substantial data from animal models of spinal cord injury (SCI), multiple sclerosis (MS) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) indicate that accumulation of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) at sites of CNS damage can lead to inhibition of CNS repair. A CSPG receptor termed protein tyrosine phosphatase sigma (PTPσ) has been implicated in mediating the inhibitory effect of CSPGs. NervGen is developing a first‐in‐class PTPσ modulator NVG‐291, a systemically administered therapeutic peptide derived from the cytoplasmic domain of PTPs, for treatment of nervous system damage. A rodent analogue of NVG‐291 was found to improve functional outcomes, axonal regeneration, remyelination and neuroplasticity in animal models of CNS damage.