WOOLSEY PHARMACEUTICALS is a repurposed therapeutics company targeting neurodegenerative diseases.
Neurodegenerative disease is an umbrella term for a range of conditions which primarily affect the neurons – the building blocks of the nervous system – in the human brain. Many neurodegenerative diseases – including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease and Multiple Sclerosis – occur as a result of the progressive death of neurons in different regions of the nervous system.
Degenerative nerve diseases affect a number of the body’s activities, such as balance, movement, talking, breathing, heart function and memory. Many of these diseases are genetic. Most have no effective cure.
WOOLSEY PHARMACEUTICALS first drug, BRAVYL® (fasudil), a repurposed therapeutic, is a potent Rho-kinase (ROCK) inhibitor involved in diverse fundamental cellular functions such as contraction and gene expression.
Fasudil has been clinically applied since 1995 for the treatment of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in Japan. Increasing evidence indicates that BRAVYL could exhibit markedly therapeutic effect on central nervous system disorders.
Woolsey has licensed certain intellectual property from a major pharmaceutical company around fasudil. As part of that license, the company has a full toxicology and preclinical package and active IND (Investigational New Drug) for BRAVYL, which is expected to allow Woolsey to go directly into a phase 2 clinical trial in the U.S.
More information on the clinical development program for BRAVYL will be made available on this site in the future.