Iceland's Synaptiq launches by acquiring Nobias and its 30-year-old rare disease drug
What's the deal? Newly formed Synaptiq TherapeuticsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has acquired substantially all the assets of Nobias TherapeuticsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, including a clinical-stage drug whose development has spanned several companies and more than three decades. The Iceland-headquartered company renamed the NB-001 programme SYN-001 and plans a Phase 2b trial for neuropsychiatric symptoms tied to 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, also known as DiGeorge syndrome.
Terms: Synaptiq was formed by European and US investors including Arctic Therapeutics, Danish clinical research organisation Sanos GroupDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and an Icelandic investment fund managed by AxUM Securities. Financial terms and the size of Synaptiq's financing were not disclosed. Nobias will retain an equity stake.
Who's involved? Patrick Dougherty, who became Nobias' chief executive officer in 2024, will lead the new company. Hakon Hakonarson — chief executive officer of Arctic Therapeutics and director of the Center for Applied Genomics at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia — will chair it. His research established the genetic rationale for repurposing the drug.
How it works: The drug, fasoracetam, is a small molecule that modulates metabotropic glutamate (mGluR) receptors, which regulate signalling between nerve cells. Synaptiq is targeting 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, a genetic condition linked to a high incidence of anxiety, ADHD, and autism-related symptoms. No drug is currently approved specifically for the condition's neuropsychiatric symptoms.
A long journey: Fasoracetam was first developed by Japan's Nippon ShinyakuDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → as NS-105 and reached Phase 3 testing for vascular dementia in the 1990s, before being discontinued for insufficient efficacy. Hakonarson revived it at neuroFix Therapeutics; Medgenics acquired neuroFix in 2015, renamed the programme, and rebranded as Aevi Genomic Medicine. After further ADHD studies failed to show convincing results, the rights eventually moved to Nobias as NB-001.
Also notable: Nobias completed a randomised crossover Phase 2 study of 37 children and adolescents with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. It showed a favourable safety profile and positive efficacy signals, including statistically significant improvements in clinically relevant patient subgroups.
What's next? Synaptiq is preparing a Phase 2b trial at medical centres in North America and Europe, using a clinical impression scale developed specifically for the syndrome. Sanos Group will provide clinical development support, while Arctic Therapeutics contributes its drug development platform and research network.
The signal: Synaptiq's launch reflects the enduring appeal of drug repurposing, giving a shelved molecule a fresh corporate home rather than abandoning decades of clinical work. For rare diseases without approved treatments, an established compound with a genetic rationale can be a faster, cheaper path than starting from scratch.
Read more: European Biotechnology
