Centessa Pharmaceuticals Presents Preclinical Data for ORX142, a Novel Orexin Receptor 2 (OX2R) Agonist, at the 27th Congress of the European Sleep Research Society (Sleep Europe 2024)

Core Insights - Centessa Pharmaceuticals has presented new preclinical data supporting ORX142 as a novel drug candidate for treating excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in specific neurological, neurodegenerative, and psychiatric disorders [1][3] - ORX142 is a potent orexin receptor 2 (OX2R) agonist, showing significant activity in promoting wakefulness at low doses in non-human primate models [2][4] Company Overview - Centessa Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing transformational medicines for patients [7] - The company is advancing a pipeline of orexin receptor 2 (OX2R) agonists, including ORX750 and ORX142, targeting sleep-wake disorders [6][7] Preclinical Data Highlights - ORX142 demonstrated significant increases in wake times at a dose of 0.03 mg/kg, the lowest oral dose tested in non-human primate models [3][4] - The drug showed an EC50 of 0.069 nM for activating the human OX2R and was over 13,000-fold selective compared to the human orexin receptor 1 (hOX1R) [4] Presentation Details - The preclinical data were presented at the 27th Congress of the European Sleep Research Society in Seville, Spain, by Dr. Sarah Wurts Black [2] - The presentation highlighted ORX142's potential as a treatment for individuals with EDS in select neurodegenerative, neurological, and psychiatric disorders [3][4]