Vitamin K Analogs

Neuroene Therapeutics has identified a novel class of compounds based on naturally occurring Vitamin K whose central naphthoquinone moiety targets mitochondrial health and energetics. These compounds can cross the blood-brain barrier (unlike naturally occurring Vitamin K), are non-sedating and are well tolerated in vivo as shown by chronic rodent studies. Our current lead compounds have excellent in vivo serum half-life and oral bioavailability.

Animal data shows that different analogs are selectively effective in different disease models, by preventing seizures in rodent models of medication-resistant epilepsy, preventing locomotor defects in Parkinson’s Disease models, and improving locomotor activity in animals with mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome (orphan disease). These compounds represent a radical departure from previous drug development strategies for neurological disease, by targeting an underlying cause, that is, mitochondrial dysfunction.