PMS-002 is the research result of Academician Wang Yutian at the University of British Columbia in Canada. It is a series ofinnovative small molecule drugs that act on N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor-related subtypes. Currently, the company has acquired the patent ownership of this series of compounds. The patent has received the international PCT patent application approval and is gradually being put into use in various countries.

In 2004, Academician Wang Yutian made a first in the world proposal that NMDA receptor subtypes have different physiological functions. In particular, he proposed that NR2A (GluN2A) and NR2B (GluN2B) have different functions on synaptic plasticity of the hippocampal neurons (Science, 2004, 304: 1021-1024). In 2007, he confirmed that activating NMDA receptors of the NR2A (GluN2A) subtype can protect nerve cell survival and cause LTP (long-term potentiation), providing a new target for developing drugs for neuroprotection and improvement of learning and memory (J. Neurosci. 27: 2846-2857, 2007).

To confirm this, Academician Wang Yutian and his team successfully discovered a positive allosteric regulatory molecule, Npam 43, through computer-aided virtual screening technology and structure-activity relationship research. The small chemical molecule can inhibit cell death by specifically enhancing the activity of NMDA receptor containing NR2A (GluN2A) subunit and activating the cell protection pathway. This is a brand-new molecule for treating stroke, brain injury, and other related diseases.

Furthermore, the team discovered the Npam105 and Npam217 compounds through continuous optimization. These compounds are bidirectional reinforcing agents of the GluN2A and GluN2B receptors. They are planned to be developed into drugs for treating learning and memory disorders and mental diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia.

Links for related articles:

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/304/5673/1021.full

http://europepmc.org/article/MED/17360906