Delving into tau blockers from a DNA-encoded library to slow Alzheimer’s and related tau diseases
Official title: Advancing DEL-derived Small Molecule Inhibitors of Pathological Tau Toward Preclinical Development for Alzheimer’s Disease and Tauopathies
Funded at Jillion Therapeutics INC. · NIH-11407564 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A patient-friendly look at a program that is developing oral, brain-penetrant drugs to stop tau protein from causing damage in Alzheimer’s and similar diseases.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Jillion Therapeutics INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Brooklyn, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,118,025 |
| NIH project number | 2R44AG085856-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11407564 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults with Alzheimer’s disease or related tauopathies who could participate in future translation and clinical studies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without Alzheimer’s or tauopathies or who are not eligible for future clinical trials may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project uses a novel drug-discovery platform to find small molecules that stop tau proteins from clumping and spreading in the brain. Researchers will test these compounds in biochemical and cell-based systems, then optimize promising candidates for better brain access and safety. They will also evaluate how well lead compounds behave in animal models that mimic tau-related disease, with an aim toward future human testing. The effort combines deep neuroscience expertise with a high-throughput discovery approach to speed translation from lab to potential therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to an oral medication that modifies disease progression in Alzheimer’s-related tauopathies, potentially slowing memory loss and other symptoms.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research shows tau-targeting strategies can reduce pathology in models, and this program is pursuing lead optimization and brain-penetrant compounds to advance toward human trials.
Where this research is happening
-
Jillion Therapeutics INC.
Brooklyn, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Flajolet, Marc — Jillion Therapeutics INC.
- Study coordinator: Flajolet, Marc
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.