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Product pipeline

Our Lead Drug Candidate – Unrivaled in Selectivity and Therapeutic Potential

Occentis' oxytocin agonist is a non-peptide, sub-nanomolar full agonist of the oxytocin receptor (OT-R). It sets a new standard in selectivity and effectiveness compared to endogenous oxytocin, backed by compelling in vivo preclinical proof-of-concept (PoC) data.

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Exploring the Therapeutic Frontiers

Autism Spectrum Disorders

The ASD market reached $1.85 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach $3.17 billion by 2029 (CAGR 7.4%). Despite the prevalence of ASD (1 in 88 in the USA), there's a lack of FDA-approved drugs targeting core symptoms.

Pain and Neuropathic Pain

In 2020, the Pain Management Therapeutics market was valued at $72.06 billion, with the Neuropathic Pain market at $10.8 billion (CAGR 12.9%). Urgent demand exists for novel analgesics to reduce reliance on opioids.

Addiction - Alcohol Use Disorder

In 2016, over 5% of global deaths were attributed to alcohol consumption. The AUD market was valued at $6.4 billion in 2020 with an 8.4% CAGR. Oxytocin has the potential to mitigate stress-related responses associated with addiction.

A Paradigm Shift:

a New Mechanism for Mental Health

  • Oxytocin (OT) faces limitations, including lack of specificity, substantial molecular weight, instability in blood, and poor blood-brain barrier penetration.
  • Our solution: Identify a potent, specific centrally active OT-R full agonist with efficacy across multiple in vivo models.
  • Our lead molecules demonstrated remarkable efficacy.
  • Diminishes the Alcohol Deprivation Effect in models, mitigating relapse-like drinking.
  • Exhibited significant anti-hyperalgesic effects in models with CFA-induced inflammatory pain.
  • Rekindled social interaction in an autism model (Oprm1-/-).

Therapeutic areas

Our groundbreaking oxytocin receptor modulators stand out with their exceptional potency and precise selectivity for oxytocin receptors. These innovative molecules, guided by robust scientific evidence from preclincal data and disease models, hold tremendous promise in addressing a wide range of mental health conditions and beyond. Our dedication to advancing clinical trials featuring these specialised drug candidates, designed to specifically target oxytocin receptors, stems from this compelling scientific foundation. While our primary expertise lies in these CNS disorders, the potential impact of oxytocin receptors extends to other areas, offering exciting prospects for collaborations with pharmaceutical partners.

Mental Health, Neuroscience, Addiction Treatment, Pain Management, Neuropsychiatric, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Neurobehavioral, Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS), Emotion Regulation, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Social Cognition, Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), Neurodevelopmental, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Autism, Autistic Disorder, treatments, therapeutics, drugs

Pioneering Mental Health Solutions

Our Novel Approach

The pursuit of scientific excellence at the CNRS led to a groundbreaking revelation: to realise the full potential of oxytocin receptor activation, our agonist demonstrates a unique and precise mode of action. This distinctive mechanism is at the heart of our lead drugs' superiority.

Distinguished by its singular mode of action, our oxytocin agonist transcends conventional approaches. It not only excels at eliciting the desired central effects but also surpasses expectations in enhancing the efficacy of endogenous oxytocin. This novel compound is characterised by its oustanding results.

Our oxytocin agonist holds immense therapeutic potential, particularly in addressing conditions like autism, Prader-Willie syndrome, alcohol use disorder, addiction, anxiety, PTSD, schizophrenia, pain management, and more. Our pioneering approach has the ability to transform the landscape of mental health and neuroscience research.

Novel Therapeutics, Preclinical, Autism, Pain, Addiction, Anxiety, PTSD, new drugs

Our lead drug:

  • First-in-class non-peptide oxytocin receptor full agonist.
  • High selectivity against V1a and V1b receptors.
  • Supported by an in vivo preclinical PoC data package across indications: social impairments, pain, alcohol use disorders.
  • The therapeutic potential of oxytocin is vast, as it regulates social behaviors and other physiological functions.
  • Is the result of groundbreaking research at the prestigious CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), the leading research organisation in Europe.

Novel technology