SBIR-STTR Award

Vasopressin (AVP) antagonists represent a novel therapeutic class for the treatment of depression. The potential utility of these compounds has emerged from observations in depressed individuals, findings in animal models, and an understanding of changes in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis regulation under chronic stress. This Fast Track proposal seeks support for the identification of novel mixed vasopressin 1a/1b (V1a/V1b) receptor antagonists and the preclinical development of recently discovered molecules in this class that already demonstrate excellent biological activity in vitro. The scientific basis for mixed V1a/V1b antagonists as a pharmacotherapy for depression includes: 1) the neuroadaptation and dysregulation of HPA function that accompanies chronic stress in affected humans and in animal models of depression, 2) recognition that AVP, not CRF, drives HPA function associated with chronic psychological stress, and 3) the localization of V1a and V1b receptors in regions involved in the control of social behaviors and HPA axis regulation (V1a in limbic system; V1b in limbic system and anterior pituitary). The initial development of these mixed antagonists to date has been supported by private sector venture funding. SBIR Fast Track support will enable essential preclinical development work that will advance candidate molecules to the stage where bulk synthesis and IND-enabling toxicology can be undertaken. Bringing candidates to this status will accelerate commercialization opportunities by significantly enhancing the likelihood of additional private financial investment or a co-development partnership structure with a major pharmaceutical house.

Public Health Relevance:
The public health need for new pharmaceutical treatments for depression is well documented. Depression affects some 20 million Americans each year and carries a conservatively estimated annual total economic burden of $125 billion. Existing drugs for depression are not uniformly effective, frequently have undesirable side effects, and do not help some 50% of individuals suffering from the disorder according to recent estimates. These limitations demonstrate that a new treatment approach through mixed V1a/V1b receptor antagonism may offer a significant opportunity for improved outcomes with substantial societal benefit.

Thesaurus Terms:
Adrgnd; Adenohypophysis; Adrenal Glands; Adrenals; Adverse Effects; Affect; Affective; Affective Disorders; American; Animal Model; Animal Models And Related Studies; Anterior Lobe Of Pituitary; Anterior Lobe Of The Pituitary Gland; Anterior Pituitary Gland; Anterior Pituitary; Antidiuretic Hormone; Antidiuretic Hormones; Back; Behavioral Assay; Binding; Binding (Molecular Function); Bioavailability; Biologic Availability; Biological; Biological Availability; Biology; Chronic; Chronic Stress; Depressed Mood; Depression; Development; Disease; Disorder; Dorsum; Drug Therapy; Drugs; Economic Burden; Funding; Hpa; Housing; Human; Human, General; Hypophysis; Hypophysis Cerebri; Hypothalamic Structure; Hypothalamus; Individual; Industry; Intermediary Metabolism; Investments; Limbic System; Metbl; Man (Taxonomy); Man, Modern; Medication; Mental Depression; Metabolic Processes; Metabolism; Molecular Interaction; Mood Disorders; Nervous System, Pituitary; Oral; Outcome; Pars Anterior Pituitary Gland; Pharmaceutic Preparations; Pharmaceutical Agent; Pharmaceutical Preparations; Pharmaceuticals; Pharmacologic Substance; Pharmacological Substance; Pharmacotherapy; Phase; Physiologic Availability; Pituitary; Pituitary Gland; Pituitary Gland, Anterior; Private Sector; Programs (Pt); Programs [publication Type]; Psychological Stress; Public Health; Receptor Protein; Regulation; Sbir; Sbirs (R43/44); Small Business Innovation Research; Small Business Innovation Research Grant; Social Behavior; Staging; Stress; Structure; Therapeutic; Toxic Effect; Toxicities; Toxicology; Treatment Side Effects; Vasopressins; Work; Base; Beta-Hypophamine; Bioavailability Of Drug; Commercialization; Depressed; Disease/Disorder; Drug Candidate; Drug Development; Drug/Agent; Hypothalamic; Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (Hpa) Axis; Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis; Hypothalmus-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis; Improved; In Vitro Activity; Model Organism; Neuroadaptation; New Therapeutics; Next Generation; Next Generation Therapeutics; Novel; Novel Therapeutics; Pre-Clinical; Preclinical; Programs; Public Health Medicine (Field); Public Health Relevance; Receptor; Sadness; Side Effect; Sociobehavior; Sociobehavioral; Suprarenal Gland; Therapy Adverse Effect; Treatment Adverse Effect

Vasopressin (AVP) antagonists represent a novel therapeutic class for the treatment of depression. The potential utility of these compounds has emerged from observations in depressed individuals, findings in animal models, and an understanding of changes in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis regulation under chronic stress. This Fast Track proposal seeks support for the identification of novel mixed vasopressin 1a/1b (V1a/V1b) receptor antagonists and the preclinical development of recently discovered molecules in this class that already demonstrate excellent biological activity in vitro. The scientific basis for mixed V1a/V1b antagonists as a pharmacotherapy for depression includes: 1) the neuroadaptation and dysregulation of HPA function that accompanies chronic stress in affected humans and in animal models of depression, 2) recognition that AVP, not CRF, drives HPA function associated with chronic psychological stress, and 3) the localization of V1a and V1b receptors in regions involved in the control of social behaviors and HPA axis regulation (V1a in limbic system;V1b in limbic system and anterior pituitary). The initial development of these mixed antagonists to date has been supported by private sector venture funding. SBIR Fast Track support will enable essential preclinical development work that will advance candidate molecules to the stage where bulk synthesis and IND-enabling toxicology can be undertaken. Bringing candidates to this status will accelerate commercialization opportunities by significantly enhancing the likelihood of additional private financial investment or a co-development partnership structure with a major pharmaceutical house.

Public Health Relevance:
The public health need for new pharmaceutical treatments for depression is well documented. Depression affects some 20 million Americans each year and carries a conservatively estimated annual total economic burden of $125 billion. Existing drugs for depression are not uniformly effective, frequently have undesirable side effects, and do not help some 50% of individuals suffering from the disorder according to recent estimates. These limitations demonstrate that a new treatment approach through mixed V1a/V1b receptor antagonism may offer a significant opportunity for improved outcomes with substantial societal benefit.

Thesaurus Terms:
Adenohypophysis;Adrenal Glands;Adrenals;Adverse Effects;Affect;Affective;Affective Disorders;American;Animal Model;Animal Models And Related Studies;Anterior Pituitary Gland;Anterior Pituitary;Antidiuretic Hormone;Antidiuretic Hormones;Back;Behavioral Assay;Binding;Binding (Molecular Function);Bioavailability;Biologic Availability;Biological;Biological Availability;Biology;Chronic;Chronic Stress;Depressed Mood;Development;Disease;Disorder;Dorsum;Drug Therapy;Drugs;Economic Burden;Funding;Housing;Human;Hypophysis;Hypophysis Cerebri;Hypothalamic Structure;Hypothalamus;Individual;Industry;Intermediary Metabolism;Investments;Limbic System;Man (Taxonomy);Medication;Mental Depression;Metabolic Processes;Metabolism;Modern Man;Molecular Interaction;Mood Disorders;Oral;Outcome;Pars Anterior Pituitary Gland;Pharmaceutic Preparations;Pharmaceutical Agent;Pharmaceutical Preparations;Pharmaceuticals;Pharmacologic Substance;Pharmacological Substance;Pharmacotherapy;Phase;Physiologic Availability;Pituitary;Pituitary Gland;Pituitary Nervous System;Private Sector;Psychological Stress;Public Health;Receptor Protein;Regulation;Sbir;Sbirs (R43/44);Small Business Innovation Research;Small Business Innovation Research Grant;Social Behavior;Staging;Stress;Structure;Therapeutic;Toxic Effect;Toxicities;Toxicology;Treatment Side Effects;Vasopressin Antagonist;Vasopressins;Work;Base;Beta-Hypophamine;Commercialization;Depressed;Depression;Developmental;Disease/Disorder;Drug Candidate;Drug Development;Drug/Agent;Hypothalamic;Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (Hpa) Axis;Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis;Hypothalmus-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis;Improved;In Vitro Activity;Model Organism;Neural Adaptation;Neuroadaptation;New Therapeutics;Next Generation;Next Generation Therapeutics;Novel;Novel Therapeutics;Pituitary Anterior Lobe;Pituitary Gland Anterior Lobe;Pre-Clinical;Preclinical;Programs;Public Health Medicine (Field);Public Health Relevance;Receptor;Sadness;Side Effect;Sociobehavior;Sociobehavioral;Suprarenal Gland;Therapy Adverse Effect;Treatment Adverse Effect