SlowPD: Developing an Innovative Drug Candidate to Slow Parkinson’s Disease Progression
SlowPD is a pre-clinical R&D project advancing N1(4)inh-IL, a first-in-class Nox1/Nox4 inhibitor formulated as an ionic liquid, to halt the pathological progression of Parkinson’s disease by targeting oxidative stress in the brain.
An Unmet Clinical Need of Growing Scale
Parkinson’s disease (PD) affects approximately 10 million people worldwide, with projections indicating an exponential increase until 2050. Its annual economic burden exceeds $51.9 billion in the USA and €13.9 billion in Europe.
No Disease-Modifying Therapies
Current therapies focus only on symptom management, and as the disease progresses, patients progressively stop responding to treatment, ultimately leaving them without effective therapeutic options. This absence of disease-modifying therapies remains one of the most critical unmet needs in neurology.
Oxidative Stress & Nox1
A key driver of this progression is oxidative stress, particularly that mediated by NADPH oxidase 1 (Nox1), which has been validated as a central pathological mechanism in PD, by promoting dopaminergic neurodegeneration, α-synucleinopathy and neuroinflammation. Although oxidative stress ranks among the most targeted mechanisms in ongoing clinical trials, no selective Nox1 inhibitor has yet reached the clinic. This is the gap SlowPD addresses.
N1(4)inh-IL: A First-in-Class Nox1/Nox4 Inhibitor in Ionic Liquid Form
Cholinium-Based Ionic Liquid · Multiple Administration Routes
N1(4)inh-IL is a selective inhibitor of NADPH oxidases Nox1 and Nox4, reformulated into a cholinium-based ionic liquid to enhance its chemical properties for central nervous system (CNS) drug development.
Developed at University of Beira Interior (UBI) and exclusively licensed to NeuroSoV (Fastprinciple, Lda), this compound reduces oxidative stress, helps prevent the progression of motor dysfunctions, and crosses the blood–brain barrier (BBB), with strong validation from preclinical studies.
SlowPD builds on solid proof-of-concept milestones from the predecessor project PDSolve (PT2020) and now aims to characterize N1(4)inh-IL efficacy across multiple administration routes and in human stem cell-derived neurons, strengthening the translational bridge to clinical trials.
Differentiators in N1(4)inh-IL
First-in-Class Nox1/4 Inhibition
Ionic Liquid Formulation
Multi-Route Evaluation
Human Neuron Validation
International Patent Protection
Pharma-Aligned Development
Proven Preclinical Milestones
SlowPD builds on robust results generated during the predecessor project PDSolve (PT2020, €610K), which established the key preclinical foundations for N1(4)inh-IL: formulation and chemical characterisation, pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic profiling demonstrating blood–brain barrier penetration, determination of the maximum tolerated dose with no observed toxicity, and in vivo efficacy showing dopaminergic neuroprotection and prevention of motor dysfunction in PD animal models.
This trajectory has been recognised through several competitive awards, including the EIC Women in Tech EU Award (2023), the EIT Health Innostar Award, and the BioAll International Accelerator Award.
Six Interconnected Activities Over 24 Months
SlowPD is structured around six activities across two core scientific aims: characterizing N1(4)inh-IL efficacy across multiple administration routes and validating its neuroprotective effects in human neurons, supported by a strong framework for translation, dissemination, and management. The work plan covers compound synthesis and formulation, in vivo and in vitro efficacy studies, exploitation and communication strategies, and integrated project management.
Multidisciplinary Expertise from Lab to Market
SlowPD is led by UBI in co-promotion with NeuroSoV (Fastprinciple, Lda), integrating competencies across neuroscience, chemistry, pharmacokinetics, stem cell biology, medicine, and business development.
NeuroSoV (Fastprinciple, Lda)
Ana Clara Cristóvão
CSO & PINeurodegenerative disease researcher with deep expertise in Parkinson’s disease, NADPH oxidase biology and pre-clinical model development. Leads the company’s scientific vision, ensuring coordination between academic and industry partners. Coordinates teams, supervises doctoral students, and maintains active international collaborations.
Dina Pereira
CEOInnovation project management specialist and executive director of UBImedical. Leads business development, international partnerships and operational management.
Ricardo Pacheco
CMOPhysician with an MBA who has held positions at multinational companies such as Novartis, Roche, and AstraZeneca. Leads the company’s clinical and regulatory strategy and ensures alignment with market requirements and industry stakeholders.
João Leitão
CFOProfessor of Economy and specialist in finance, sustainability, and entrepreneurship. Ensures the project’s economic and financial viability, as well as its value-creation strategy.
UBI (RISE-Health)
Liliana Bernardino
BiomedicineProfessor of Biomedicine with expertise in regenerative therapies for PD, particularly through boosting the neurogenic niche and stem cell-based approaches. Also supports the scientific and technical management of the project on the academic side.
Gilberto Alves
Pharmaceutical SciencesProfessor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, specialist in pharmacokinetics and metabolism (ADME), with extensive experience in regulatory preclinical studies.
Samuel Silvestre
Pharmaceutical SciencesProfessor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, responsible for providing support in medicinal chemistry and for the analysis and validation of the stability and reactivity of the N1inh-IL formulation.
Luís Passarinha
BiomedicineProfessor of Biomedicine, specialist in biochemistry and chromatographic techniques, with expertise in the production, recovery, and purification of therapeutic proteins, particularly COMT in the context of PD. Also contributes to the quantification of dopamine and its metabolites in animal models using HPLC.
External Consultants & Partners
Mara Freire
CICECO, University of AveiroInternational expert in ionic liquid chemistry. Advises on formulation design and optimisation.
Yoon-Seong Kim
Rutgers University, USAProfessor of Neurology and specialist in Parkinson’s molecular mechanisms. Supports translational model validation.
Building the Path to Clinical Translation
SlowPD is designed to strengthen the scientific foundation of the N1(4)inh-IL drug candidate by filling two critical gaps in its preclinical research package: efficacy data across multiple administration routes and validation in human neurons. These results will reduce the uncertainty associated with advancing to clinical trials and significantly increase the compound’s intellectual property and commercial value.
The team is actively exploring partnerships with pharmaceutical and biotech companies, as well as pursuing competitive funding opportunities, to accelerate the path toward clinical translation.
Licensing Opportunity — N1(4)inh-IL
- First-in-class selective Nox1/Nox4 inhibition
- Ionic liquid formulation (cholinium-based)
- Validated BBB penetration
- Multiple administration routes
- International patent PCT WO2023144742A1
- Human iPSC neuron efficacy data
- Pharma-endorsed pipeline
- Phase I entry estimated 2029–2030
We Welcome Engagement With
We welcome engagement with pharmaceutical companies in neuroscience, biotech companies in CNS and neurodegeneration, venture capital and corporate VC, innovation funding bodies (e.g. EIC Accelerator), regulatory experts, and strategic co-development partners.
For scientific collaboration enquiries, partnership and licensing discussions, or media and press requests, please contact the SlowPD project team.