ANNOUNCEMENT FOR EUROPEAN MEDICAL & PHARMACEUTICAL TRADE MEDIA AND EUROPEAN FINANCIAL MEDIA ONLY
Gothenburg, Sweden, October 20, 2026 – IRLAB Therapeutics AB (Nasdaq Stockholm: IRLAB A), a company focused on discovering and developing new treatments for Parkinson’s disease, today announced that that the research behind the investigational drug linepemat (IRL757) has been published in the scientific journal Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters. Linepemat is being developed as a potential first-in-class treatment for apathy associated with Parkinson’s disease and other neurological conditions and is currently being evaluated in a Phase Ib, study(LIFT-PD), which is fully funded by IRLAB’s collaborator, Otsuka Pharmaceutical (Otsuka).
Apathy is characterized by indifference, resignation and a lack of response to what is happening in the outside world. The condition often leads to significant disability affecting a substantial proportion of people living with Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. Currently, there are no drugs on the market to treat apathy.
The scientific publication describes how IRLAB’s researchers designed and evaluated a series of novel molecules with the goal of enhancing activity in the cerebral cortex, the part of the brain responsible for planning, attention, and goal-directed behavior. The compounds were shown to increase levels of the neurotransmitters dopamine and noradrenaline in the cerebral cortex. At the same time, the researchers sought to avoid mechanisms associated with a risk of dependence. The molecule that best met both criteria was linepemat. Following positive results in preclinical models, the investigational drug advanced into clinical studies in humans. The publication means that the methods used and the results generated have undergone independent peer review.
“The publication highlights the systematic preclinical research underpinning linepemat. We have deliberately designed our drug candidate to optimize its effect on apathy while avoiding mechanisms associated with dependence, which is important for a treatment that may need to be used over an extended period of time,” said Dr. Nicholas Waters, Executive Vice President and Head of R&D at IRLAB Therapeutics.
Linepemat is being developed with the support of the global pharmaceutical company Otsuka, which has funded the program through proof of concept since 2024. The drug candidate is currently being evaluated in a Phase Ib study (LIFT-PD) in individuals with Parkinson’s disease and apathy. The first patient was dosed in February 2026, triggering a milestone payment of USD 3 million to IRLAB. Otsuka has the opportunity to elect to expand the collaboration upon the occurrence of certain triggering events, subject to negotiations of a new agreement. The first results from the LIFT-PD study are expected to be reported in mid-2027.
About the publication
Authors and title: Sonesson C, von Unge S, Gullme M, Rousk L, Fagerberg A, Knubbe T, Svanberg B, Ljung E, Johansson A, Hjorth S. Synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of a series of fluoro-substituted 3-phenoxy-azetidines as cortical enhancers for the treatment of apathy. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 2026.
Link to the publication: https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1nvfv,LsIG6e9y