Solvonis Therapeutics PLC (LSE:SVNS, OTC:SLVNF, FRA:J4I) told investors it has expanded its investigational compound SVN-015 into depression following positive preclinical data.
The company, in a stock market statement, said data has shown antidepressant-like activity benchmarked against fluoxetine after 14-day, once-daily dosing in validated rodent behavioural models.
It noted that SVN-015 is a novel Serotonin-Dopamine Reuptake Inhibitor, or SDRI, with patent applications filed, designed to engage pathways linked to mood regulation, motivation and reward processing. The company said the programme supports potential use in patients with inadequate response to SSRIs, including symptoms such as anhedonia and reduced motivation.
“Demonstrating antidepressant-like activity versus a gold-standard SSRI following repeat dosing is a notable preclinical signal, supporting SVN-015's expansion into research and development of small molecule therapies for depression," said chief executive Anthony Tennyson.
Solvonis said SVN-015 is expected to be developed as a once-daily oral therapy suitable for at-home use, aligned with standard antidepressant treatment cycles, and noted the compound has also been selected for evaluation in the US National Institute on Drug Abuse Addiction Treatment Discovery Program for stimulant use disorders.