This week’s episode of “WisBusiness: the Podcast” is with Prof. Jim Cook, co-founder of the Milwaukee Institute for Drug Discovery at UW-Milwaukee.
The podcast is focused on a drug that Cook helped discover, which is now being developed by a Canadian business called Damona Pharmaceuticals. The company is exploring its applications for treating depression and Alzheimer’s disease, though Cook notes it could have potential for patients with schizophrenia as well.
“In that model, every aspect of schizophrenia was inhibited — not just half of them, every one,” Cook said. “That was really exciting, so we started looking for colleagues to look at schizophrenia.”
After connecting with Etienne Sibille, the deputy director and senior scientist in the Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute at the University of Toronto, Cook’s team developed the compound further. Sibille is also chief scientific officer and co-founder of Damona Pharmaceuticals, and was most interested in its applications for treating depression.
“Because depression and schizophrenia are really closely linked,” Cook said. “They are linked genetically, and not only that, sometimes a doctor can’t tell you whether you have schizophrenia or you have bipolar depression.”
Researchers found the compound reduced anxiety and depression in a mouse model, targeting specific neurons that Sibille had been studying, Cook explained. After gathering data on safety, Sibille got approval from the FDA to begin initial trials.
“Depression, right now, biologically and in terms of models, looks like the best target,” Cook said, adding “if you can get a drug in the clinic for depression, then you can take some of the profits and reinvest it and study schizophrenia. And that’s really what we’d like to do.”
Cook discusses the path ahead for the drug’s development, adding he’s excited to see his work advance to potential real-world application.
“As a medicinal chemist, any time that you get one that’s okayed for phase one, you’re really happy,” he said.
Listen to the podcast below, sponsored by UW-Madison:
