Ovid Therapeutics

We’re excited to announce that Ovid President & COO, Meg Alexander will be presenting at the 24th Annual Needham Virtual Healthcare Conference on April 7th.   Read the full announcement, including details for accessing the webcast, here:  https://bit.ly/445Ob2Y

Today, we announced our Q4 2024 financial results, highlighting key developments in our pipeline and business strategy. As we advance our programs, including OV329 and our KCC2 library, we reached an important milestone with our 1st KCC2 direct activator program, OV350. We’ve been cleared by regulators and have initiated a first-in-human study. We’re excited to progress our unique and highly specific small molecule medicines deeper into the clinic and fulfill our commitment to address the neurological symptoms that matter most to patients, and one day, halt the progression of brain disease. Read the full earnings release here: https://lnkd.in/gMTmmRZa

Today, Novo Nordisk announced a collaboration with Gensaic to develop next-generation precision therapies using Gensaic’s groundbreaking FORGE™ platform. This partnership aims to leverage Gensaic’s novel world leading protein design technology to discover highly specific tissue-targeting ligands and develop new therapeutic candidates for cardiometabolic diseases. From the outset of Gensaic’s formation, Ovid Therapeutics believed in and supported Gensaic’s vision and scientific strategy —not just as an investor but also as a collaborator. We committed early to help build the foundation of what the company has become today, recognizing the potential of their innovative approach to therapeutic design harnessing AI with synthetic biology and protein engineering. That belief has now been been validated in a striking and meaningful collaboration with a world leading biopharma company. This collaboration with Novo Nordisk reflects not only confidence in Gensaic’s science but also demonstrates how breakthrough innovation requires time, persistence, and the right partnerships to evolve from concept to reality. Biotech is a long game. Gensaic’s journey exemplifies what’s possible when bold ideas are explored and supported.  As Chairman of Gensaic, I’m incredibly proud of how far the company has come, and I look forward to seeing their continued impact on the future of medicine. Congratulations to Lavi Erisson, MD and the entire team on this milestone. Everyone at Ovid Therapeutics is thrilled for this team. Read more here: https://bwnews.pr/41m1d9t

We’re pleased to welcome Dr. Stelios Papadopoulos to our Board of Directors!   With a legendary career spanning over four decades in biotechnology, investment banking and corporate governance, Dr. Papadopoulos has played a pioneering role in bridging scientific discovery with financial strategy to help shape the industry. Co-founder of Exelixis, he’s chaired its board since 1998 and has helped guide multiple biotech companies while also being deeply involved in nonprofit work.    His leadership and strategic insights will be invaluable as Ovid continues its mission to develop transformative medicines for brain conditions with significant unmet need. Read the full announcement here: https://lnkd.in/e3xa7GBN

🌎💜 Today is Rare Disease Day! 💜🌎 At Ovid Therapeutics, we stand with the rare disease community—patients, families, advocates, and researchers—who inspire us every day. Our commitment to advancing treatments for rare neurological disorders drives everything we do. This Rare Disease Day, we reaffirm our dedication to innovation, collaboration, and amplifying the voices of those living with rare diseases. Together, we can create a future with more options, more hope, and more breakthroughs. #RareDiseaseDay

Ovid’s President and Chief Operating Officer, Meg Alexander, was recently featured in the final installment of Citeline’s “Scrip Asks… What Does 2025 Hold For Biopharma?” Meg highlights how neurotherapeutics are entering a transformative era—just as they’re needed most. With aging populations facing rising rates of dementia, Parkinson’s, and seizures, the demand for gentler medicines with novel mechanisms of action (MOAs) has never been greater. She emphasizes the significant progress being made in targeting the fundamental biological processes underlying disease pathophysiology across several therapeutic areas, paving the way for innovative therapeutic approaches that could redefine treatment in the year ahead. Read Meg’s full quote in the article by Eleanor Malone: https://lnkd.in/dSyX8Mmu #neurology #innovation #therapeuticadvancement 

💙 In honor of #NationalCaregiversDay, we celebrate the extraordinary strength and compassion of all caregivers. At Ovid Therapeutics, we recognize the vital role caregivers play in the lives of patients, providing not just support, but also comfort and resilience. We are deeply grateful for the unwavering dedication of caregivers to improve the lives of those they support. Today, we pause to recognize their immeasurable impact and reflect on our ongoing commitment to advancing therapies that improve the lives of those affected by neurological conditions. To all caregivers: your dedication makes a world of a difference. Thank you for your selflessness and compassion.

KCC2 has the potential to be a powerful target for treating a variety of CNS conditions, from epilepsy to neurodegenerative disorders. By addressing neuronal imbalance, directly activating KCC2 could unlock new therapeutic possibilities for patients. In this clip, Dr. Jeffrey Noebels explains why this precision mechanism is key to treating brain disorders driven by hyperexcitability. Listen below to learn more! #KCC2 #DrugDevelopment #Neuroscience

Congratulations to Dr. Richard Silverman and his team on the recent publication of their study on investigational drug OV329 in PNAS. The study highlights OV329’s therapeutic potential in pain indications. As an investigational analgesic drug that inhibits GABA-aminotransferase (GABA-AT), OV329 demonstrated rapid, potent and dose dependent analgesic effects in multiple pain models – neuropathic pain, inflammatory pain and chemo- induced pain. In these studies, OV329 reduced pain as effectively as morphine, in some cases, and showed no evidence of tolerance or addiction-related behaviors. These findings suggest that inhibiting GABA-AT, by raising levels of GABA, with OV329 could be a new approach to dampen abnormal excitability which is implicated in several CNS conditions, including pain.  Check out the article to learn more: https://lnkd.in/esPncbNW

The hyperexcitability of neurons is a root cause of numerous brain disorders, many of which still lack effective treatments today. KCC2 plays a crucial role in restoring the balance between excitation and inhibition between neurons, making its direct activation a promising approach for addressing a broad range of neurological conditions. As Stephen Moss shares, directly activating KCC2 could be a game-changer for patients, potentially helping them avoid off-target side effects. #KCC2 #DrugDevelopment #Neuroscience