Chong Kun Dang said on the 3rd that it presented the preclinical (animal and cell experiment stage) research results of its degenerative neurological disease drug candidate "CKD-513" in a poster at the "2025 Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting" held recently in California.
CKD-513 selectively inhibits the enzyme HDAC6, which interferes with the process by which substances move along the axon (the long projection of a neuron) inside nerve cells. By doing so, it stabilizes microtubules, an internal structure of nerve cells, and restores axonal transport, directly improving neuronal function with a new mechanism of action.
CKD-513 is a new mechanism therapeutic candidate that directly improves neuronal function by selectively inhibiting the enzyme "HDAC6," which reduces the stability of microtubules inside nerve cells and hinders material transport within axons, thereby restoring microtubule stability and axonal transport.
According to Chong Kun Dang, CKD-513 is designed to penetrate well into the brain, overcoming the limitations of existing HDAC6 inhibitors. It is being developed to treat degenerative neurological diseases, including Alzheimer's dementia, tauopathies, and Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT).
The presentation at this meeting disclosed efficacy in a tauopathy model. Tauopathy is a disease in which tau protein abnormally accumulates in neurons and degrades neuronal function, and it is known as a major cause of several neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's dementia.
In preclinical studies, CKD-513 demonstrated high selectivity for HDAC6 and excellent brain permeability, and it was confirmed to restore impaired axonal transport to normal levels in cell and animal models overexpressing tau protein. In addition, cognitive function and memory improved in the animal model, and improvement in neuronal function was demonstrated in long-term potentiation (LTP) assessments.
A Chong Kun Dang official said, "This presentation is a meaningful achievement that proves the potential of the HDAC6 inhibition platform technology," adding, "We plan to further accelerate research and development of nervous system diseases based on the neuronal function improvement observed in tauopathy and CMT models."
CKD-513 was recently selected for a national project by the Korea Drug Development Fund (KDDF) and is receiving support for preclinical research, with development targeting entry into a phase 1 clinical trial at the end of next year. The national new drug development program is a research and development (R&D) initiative supported across ministries to strengthen the global competitiveness of Korea's pharmaceutical and biotech industries, aiming to provide research support and generate commercialization outcomes across the entire new drug development process.