NanoNewron Awarded $2.5 Million in NIH STTR Phase 2 Grant to Advance its Innovative NN-840 Alzheimer’s Disease Program
- The $2.5 Million in NIH STTR Phase 2 Grant allows NanoNewron to start the IND-enabling program for the NN-840 program with an IND submission expected next year
- This NIH grant award strongly confirms the scientific and clinical promise of the innovative approach of NanoNewron to treat Alzheimer’s Disease
- This STTR grant strengthens the collaboration between NanoNewron and Rutgers University, the State University of New Jersey, a leading academic institution
UNION, N.J., Sept. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NanoNewron (“NanoNewron” or the “Company”), a pioneering biotechnology company developing innovative, humanized biologics that cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to treat central nervous system (CNS) neurodegenerative diseases, announced today that it has been awarded a $2.5 million NIH STTR Phase 2 grant to support development of its innovative TNF-alpha inhibitor NN-840 program for Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions. This non-dilutive fund will further advance development of the company’s proprietary therapeutic compounds of the NN-840 program with the objective of submitting an IND (Investigational New Drug) application next year.
“Securing this competitive NIH award confirms both the scientific and clinical promise of NanoNewron’s approach to Alzheimer’s disease,” said Dr. Marco Taglietti, Chief Executive Officer of NanoNewron. “There is still a dire need for more effective treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease. Despite decades of research, the current treatments only offer temporary improvements in symptoms and just a modest slowdown of cognitive decline. The product and the underlying technology developed at NanoNewron promise to transform the treatment of Alzheimer’s in the same way that TNF-alpha inhibitors transformed the treatment of systemic inflammatory diseases such as Crohn’s Disease or Rheumatoid Arthritis. Indeed, this grant is a testament to our research team’s commitment and our ability to translate academic science into meaningful treatments.”
The STTR mechanism enables collaborative development between NanoNewron and Rutgers University, the State University of New Jersey, a leading academic institution.
“At NanoNewron, we believe that TNF-α plays a key pathogenic role in Alzheimer’s,” said Luciano D’Adamio, PhD, MD., a Professor at Rutgers University and Chief Scientific Officer of NanoNewron. “We developed potent TNF-alpha inhibitor antibodies to be used to treat Alzheimer’s and, since these antibodies cannot cross the blood-brain barrier by themselves, we combined them with our NewroBusTM technology, a nanoantibody able to cross the blood-brain barrier by leveraging the transcytosis activity of Transferrin Receptor one (TfR1). These combined products of the NN-840 program have shown very promising results in animal models when administered subcutaneously, with high inhibition of TNF-alpha activity inside the brain and excellent tolerability. This breakthrough could finally allow targeted biologics to reach the brain in effective concentrations, something that has long limited progress in Alzheimer’s research.”
“The initial work of NanoNewron has been conducted at Rutgers University, with the funding also from a significant STTR Phase I NIH grant,” said Deborah Perez Fernandez, PhD, MBA, executive director of the Office for Research (OfR) Technology Transfer unit of Rutgers University “Dr. D’Adamio’s innovations have the potential to make a positive impact for so many families around the world, and it’s another example of the contribution and commitment of Rutgers University to advance the treatment of serious diseases.”
About NanoNewron
NanoNewron (https://www.nanonewron.com/) is a pioneering biotechnology company dedicated to developing innovative, humanized biologics that cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to treat central nervous system (CNS) diseases. Founded by Dr. Luciano D’Adamio, a professor at Rutgers University and holder of the Herbert C. and Jacqueline Krieger Klein Endowed Chair since 2017, NanoNewron leverages cutting-edge nanobody technologies to target neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer's disease and other CNS neurodegenerative pathologies.
NanoNewron is led by Dr. Marco Taglietti, MD, as Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Taglietti was most recently CEO of SCYNEXIS and a veteran in drug development, fund raising and commercialization, who brought to the market more than 30 different products in different therapeutic areas.
About NewroBusTM
NewroBusTM is NanoNewron’s innovative humanized nanobody designed to target the transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1) for efficient transcytosis across the BBB. This breakthrough technology dramatically enhances the delivery of biologic therapeutic agents to the CNS, significantly increasing their bioavailability and therapeutic potential inside the brain.
About the NN-840 Program
The NN-840 program, NanoNewron’s flagship therapeutic products, comprises several bi-functional humanized nanobodies combining robust TNF-alpha inhibitory activity with blood-brain barrier permeability. Built using proprietary TNF-alpha inhibitors and NewroBusTM, the NN-840 compounds target neuroinflammatory pathways after efficiently crossing the blood-brain barrier, making it a game-changing treatment for Alzheimer’s disease and other CNS neurodegenerative conditions characterized by elevated TNF-alpha levels. The NN-840 compounds are currently advancing through preclinical evaluation in humanized models with IND-enabling studies being started, and an IND submission expected for next year.
Forward-Looking Statement.
This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding NanoNewron LLC, its technologies, and future business plans, including anticipated product development timelines, preclinical and clinical milestones, and market opportunities. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes to differ materially. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, regulatory requirements, clinical trial results, manufacturing challenges, market dynamics, risks associated with intellectual property rights and infringement claims relating to our products. These statements speak only as of the date of this press release. NanoNewron assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements or outlook or guidance after the date of this press release whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law.
For more information, visit https://www.nanonewron.com/
Bahar Aksoy, NanoNewron Chief of Staff bahar.aksoy@nanonewron.com +1 (908) 723-5006
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