Karolinska Development’s portfolio company Umecrine Cognition presents promising preclinical Parkinson data at AD/PD 2025

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN – April 1, 2025. Karolinska Development AB (Nasdaq Stockholm: KDEV) today announces that its portfolio company Umecrine Cognition presents recent preclinical data showing that golexanolone reverses dopamine loss and sustains improvements of Parkinsonian symptoms at the 19^th International Conference on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases (AD/PD) 2025, in Vienna, Austria, April 1–5^th.

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease hallmarked by motor symptoms and disrupted cognitive functions as well as mental health. The disorder is caused by the loss of nerve cells in the brain that produce the signaling substance dopamine, which leads to various symptoms reducing the patient’s well-being and quality of life.

Umecrine Cognition is developing a new class of drugs to alleviate cognitive symptoms. The company’s drug candidate golexanolone has recently shown to improve mechanisms in the midbrain important for brain functions such as motor and cognitive behaviors that leads to dopamine loss and Parkinsonian deficits in a preclinical study in a well-established laboratory model of Parkinson’s disease.

The results from the study increase the understanding of golexanolone’s mechanism of action and support further development of the drug candidate as a potential treatment for Parkinson’s disease.

An abstract summarizing the company’s study has been accepted for presentation at the on-site paper poster session “Alpha-Synucleinopathies, Therapeutic Targets, Mechanisms for Treatment” on Friday, April 4th, as well as at the oral ePoster presentation, a virtual format for digital meeting attendees.

Karolinska Development’s ownership in Umecrine Cognition amounts to 73%.

For further information, please contact:

Viktor Drvota, CEO, Karolinska Development AB
Phone: +46 73 982 52 02, e-mail: viktor.drvota@karolinskadevelopment.com 

Johan Dighed, General Counsel and Deputy CEO, Karolinska Development AB
Phone: +46 70 207 48 26, e-mail: johan.dighed@karolinskadevelopment.com

TO THE EDITORS

About Karolinska Development AB

Karolinska Development AB (Nasdaq Stockholm: KDEV) is a Nordic life sciences investment company. The company focuses on identifying breakthrough medical innovations in the Nordic region that are developed by entrepreneurs and leadership teams. The company invests in the creation and growth of companies that advance these assets into commercial products that are designed to make a difference to patient’s lives while providing an attractive return on investment to shareholders.

Karolinska Development has access to world-class medical innovations at the Karolinska Institutet and other leading universities and research institutes in the Nordic region. The company aims to build companies around scientists who are leaders in their fields, supported by experienced management teams and advisers, and co-funded by specialist international investors, to provide the greatest chance of success.

Karolinska Development has a portfolio of eleven companies targeting opportunities in innovative treatment for life-threatening or serious debilitating diseases.

The company is led by an entrepreneurial team of investment professionals with a proven track record as company builders and with access to a strong global network.

For more information, please visit www.karolinskadevelopment.com.

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