Montréal-based Thryv Therapeutics Inc. has licensed an exclusive, worldwide patent and know-how rights to a structurally distinct class of SGK1 inhibitors from Spain's Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), and the Fundación de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (FUAM), extending its serum- and glucocorticoid-regulated kinase 1 (SGK1) inhibitor platform into Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and related neurodegenerative disorders. The agreement, effective July 1, 2026, grants Thryv rights across all fields of use in all territories, with sublicensing rights. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The licensed series represents a chemically independent scaffold from the compounds underpinning Thryv's existing cardiovascular pipeline — a distinction the company said gives it the ability to optimize chemistry specifically for central nervous system penetration rather than adapting compounds designed for cardiac indications. No development candidate from the CSIC/UAM series has yet been nominated; Thryv said it is targeting a first candidate nomination in 2027.
The CSIC/UAM chemistry originated from a collaboration spanning medicinal chemistry, cardiovascular pharmacology, neurobiology, and vascular pharmacology groups across the two institutions. The patent claims cover both neurodegenerative and cardiovascular indications, giving Thryv broad optionality from a single transaction without field-of-use restrictions — a structure that is unusual for academic licenses at this stage, which are more commonly limited to a defined therapeutic area.
The deal arrives as Thryv's lead asset, THRV-1268, an orally available selective SGK1 inhibitor, is advancing on two fronts. The company commenced patient dosing in Wave II, a multicenter Phase II/III study in genetically confirmed Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) Type 2, in April 2026 and received FDA Fast Track Designation for THRV-1268 in that setting. A Phase IIa study in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, ASPIRE-HF, is planned to follow. Thryv received FDA IND clearance for THRV-1268 in heart failure and atrial fibrillation in September 2025.