Cognition Therapeutics, Inc. will be presenting in vitro results characterizing the role of sigma-2 (-2) receptors and effect of CT1812 in cell-based models of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). CT1812 is an experimental orally delivered, small molecule drug candidate that binds to -2 receptors, which have been shown to regulate key cellular processes involved in age-related degenerative diseases. In these in vitro studies, cultures of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) as well as cultures of ARPE-19 cells, a cell line of naturally occurring RPEs, were subjected to conditions that lead to cellular dysfunction in dry AMD.

Biological pathways impacted by disease-relevant stressors in RPE cells were identified, some of which were also modulated by CT1812. Pathways that were impacted by CT1812 include those involved in immune response, extracellular matrix remodeling and RPE cell survival. A detailed poster presentation describing the results and their impact on understanding of the -2 receptor's role in dry AMD and the progression of geographic atrophy (GA) will be made at the upcoming meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) being held in New Orleans from April 23-27.