ARTICLE | Emerging Company Profile
Iama: treating autism by restoring chloride homeostasis
The Italian newco is selectively inhibiting NKCC1 to restore chloride regulation while avoiding side effects of non-selective inhibitors
May 20, 2022 6:56 PM UTC
With €8 million from Claris Ventures and CDP Venture Capital, Iama aims to create a selective NKCC1 inhibitor for autism and other CNS diseases that involve dysregulated chloride homeostasis in brain cells.
Neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism, Down’s syndrome and epilepsy are often associated with cognitive impairment, and Iama Therapeutics s.r.l. believes these disorders have something in common. “In conditions like those, intracellular chloride concentrations are out of balance,” which can lead to hyperexcitability in neuronal networks, CEO Andrea Malizia told BioCentury. ...