Addex Therapeutics , a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing a portfolio of novel small molecule allosteric modulators for neurological disorders,  announced it has led a CHF 2 million investment in Stalicla, a clinical-stage company focused on precision medicine for neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders. Stalicla will use the financing to advance its portfolio of autism focused drug candidates, support the partnering of certain assets and its series C financing as well as general corporate activities. As part of the Addex-led financing, Addex CEO, Tim Dyer, has been appointed to Stalicla’s Board of Directors and nominated as Chairman.

“This strategic investment underscores Addex’s commitment to advancing innovative treatments for CNS disorders and builds on our 20% equity holding in Neurosterix. Stalicla has built a world leading precision medicine platform in neurodevelopmental disorders, backed by a strong portfolio of clinical-stage assets,” said Tim Dyer, CEO of Addex. “We look forward to providing our industry expertise to support the Stalica team as they bring forward these new treatment options for this underserved patient population.”

The investment in Stalicla reinforces Addex’s strategy to support the advancement of precision therapeutics in CNS disorders. Stalicla is preparing to launch Phase 2 trials for its lead autism candidate STP1 and a second asset, both targeting specific subpopulations within autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Stalicla is also advancing its STP7 program (mavoglurant), an mGluR5 NAM, for cocaine use disorders under a Collaborative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the NIH’s National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). This program is the most advanced treatment candidate in development for this indication.

“We are delighted to welcome Addex and its syndicate of investors to Stalicla. Addex brings a wealth of life science expertise and we look forward to working with them to build significant value for our shareholders,” said Lynn Durham, CEO of Stalicla. “Stalicla is poised to advance a number of assets into phase 2 clinical studies for subpopulations of patients with ASD and is committed to transforming the lives of these patients and their families.”