Ironwood Spin-Off Cyclerion Launches as Clinical-Stage Biopharm

Cyclerion Therapeutics has announced its launch as an independent, publicly traded clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company harnessing the power of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) pharmacology to discover, develop and commercialize breakthrough treatments for serious and orphan diseases. Cyclerion will trade on the Nasdaq Global Market, commencing today, under the ticker symbol “CYCN.”

“We are excited to unleash the terrific Cyclerion team and further our laser-focused mission to advance tailored sGC stimulators to patients with serious and orphan diseases,” said Peter Hecht, chief executive officer of Cyclerion. “We are grateful to the patients, employees and investors who are committed to our work.”

Cyclerion is focused on unlocking the full therapeutic potential of the nitric oxide-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (NO-cGMP) signaling pathway. The nitric oxide signaling pathway plays a central role in regulating critical biological systems, and defective signaling has been linked to a wide range of cardiovascular, metabolic, inflammatory, fibrotic and neurological diseases.

Cyclerion is developing small molecules, called sGC stimulators, that are designed to work with nitric oxide to enhance pathway signaling. Cyclerion’s sGC stimulators are designed to preferentially increase nitric oxide signaling in disease-relevant tissues to improve blood flow and reduce inflammation and fibrosis in those affected tissues.

Cyclerion initially plans to advance five differentiated sGC stimulator programs that are designed to target tissues of greatest relevance to the diseases they are intended to treat. These programs include olinciguat in Phase 2 development for sickle cell disease, praliciguat in Phase 2 trials for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and for diabetic nephropathy, IW-6463 in Phase 1 development for serious and orphan central nervous system diseases, and two late-stage discovery programs targeting serious liver and lung diseases, respectively. Topline data read-outs for each of the clinical programs are expected by the end of 2019. (Source: Cyclerion Therapeutics Website, 02 April, 2019)