Herantis Pharma Plc announced initial results of HER-096 blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetration in dogs. The results demonstrate that following a single subcutaneous administration of HER-096, the concentration of HER-096 measured from the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is within the pharmacologically active level. This result is aligned with previous data obtained from rats.

These data show that subcutaneous administration allows effective brain distribution both in small and large animals and support this route of administration to be used for HER-096 in first-in-human clinical study. Herantis aims to report the final results of the preclinical BBB-penetration studies in animals as well as the preclinical GLP safety data during the second half of 2022. Herantis' plan is to initiate the first-in-human study with HER-096 in 2023.