Reykjavik University

3Z Pharmaceuticals today announced the publication of a transformative study in Neuropsychopharmacology, highlighting compelling scientific evidence that positions the mechanisms engaged by amlodipine, an L-type calcium channel  blocker (LTCC), as a foundation for a novel therapy for ADHD. The findings provide robust validation of 3Z's cutting-edge high-throughput drug discovery platform and introduce new avenues for non-stimulant-based ADHD treatment. ADHD is a prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder with limited treatment options. Current stimulant medications, such as methylphenidate, offer benefits to some but are often associated with side effects, abuse potential, and a high non-response rate. 3Z Pharmaceuticals is committed to addressing these gaps by pioneering alternative, non-stimulant therapeutics. Dr. Karl Karlsson a neuroscientist, CEO of 3Z Pharmaceuticals and Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Reykjavik University, commented on the study's impact, "This research represents a paradigm shift in ADHD therapeutics. Our findings not only validate the mechanism impacted by amlodipine as a promising candidate for non-stimulant ADHD treatment but also underscore the power of our high-throughput screening and genetic modeling approaches, performed in close alliance with biotx.ai. This is an exciting step forward in our mission to deliver more effective and well-tolerated treatments for ADHD." Building on these findings, 3Z Pharmaceuticals is advancing a variant of the therapeutic towards clinical development, leveraging its established safety profile and precise mechanism of action to introduce transformative ADHD therapy.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a long-lasting impact on adolescent mental health and substance use, according to a new population-based study based on survey responses from a sample of over 64,000 13- to 18-year-olds assessed prior to and up to two years into the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a long-lasting impact on adolescent mental health and substance use, according to a new population-based study are based on survey responses from a nationwide sample of over 64,000 13- to 18-year-old North American and Icelandic adolescents assessed prior to and up to two years into the pandemic. The study was conducted by faculty at Columbia University Teachers College and Mailman School of Public Health and a team of Icelandic and other North American clinical, behavioral and social scientists. The findings are published in published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health. This same research team published a population-based study in The Lancet Psychiatry in 2021 showing an increase in depressive symptoms and decrease in mental well-being among 13-18-year-old adolescents within one year of the global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. A decline in substance use, in particular cigarette smoking, e-cigarette use and alcohol intoxication, was also observed. Expanding on these findings, this new study shows that the negative effect on adolescent mental health has been persisted up to two years into the pandemic. "It is worrisome that we still see an increase in mental health problems among adolescents two years into the pandemic. And this is occurring despite social restrictions having been eased in Iceland," said Thorhildur Halldorsdottir, assistant professor of psychology at Reykjavik University and senior author of the study. The initial decrease in cigarette smoking and e-cigarette use observed shortly after the arrival of the pandemic was also maintained up to two years into the pandemic. The frequency of adolescent alcohol intoxication, however, appeared to be returning to pre-pandemic levels. "It is of course positive to see that the reduction in cigarette smoking and vaping has been maintained," said Dr. Ingibjorg Eva Thorisdottir, chief data analyst at Planet Youth and lead author of the study. She continued: "We will need to monitor alcohol intoxication among adolescents in years to come, especially given the increase in mental health problems." The association of immigration status, residency, parental social support and nightly sleep duration with adolescent mental health and substance use was also examined in this study. Parental social support and an average of 8 hours or more of sleep per night was associated with better mental health and less substance use among adolescents. The relationship between immigration status and residency with adolescent mental health was less clear. These findings suggest that stress exposure, like the COVID-19 pandemic, affects all adolescents to some extent rather than only vulnerable subgroups. As such, policy makers should consider implementing large-scale evidence-based prevention efforts focusing on depressive symptoms to mitigate the negative effect of the pandemic," said John Allegrante, the Charles Irwin Lambert Professor of Health Behavior and Education at Teachers College and professor of sociomedical sciences at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, and a senior collaborating investigator on the study. The research was supported by the Icelandic Research Fund.

REYKJAVIK, Iceland , June 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- 3Z, a Reykjavik based drug discovery company is pleased to announce the closure of a $2 million funding round led by seasoned investors in pharmaceuticals and medical technology. The just closed funding will accelerate finalization of preclinical studies on 3Z's lead therapeutic candidates in ADHD and insomnia. Using its unique zebrafish screening platform, 3Z has identified both novel and repurposed therapeutics for these indications; the platform allows for cost-effective high-volume screens in vivo. Currently, the lead therapeutics are being re-assayed in mammalian models, replicating, extending and validating the therapeutic potential of the compounds. The novel ADHD therapeutics are all non-stimulants, poised to fill a gap in the market, with less side-effects compared to contemporary treatments and offer an alternative for non-responders. The insomnia therapeutic encompasses a novel mechanism of action that may combat insomnia and metabolic syndrome, indications with significant comorbidity. 3Z´s CEO Karl Karlsson is a PhD in behavioral neuroscience and professor in Biomedical Engineering at Reykjavik University. Karl was extensively involved in sleep research before merging the neuroscientific and engineering skillsets to high-throughput in vivo drug screening. Discussing the significance of the financing round Karl stated: "We are extremely pleased to welcome the investors onboard, which significantly strengthen and deepen the company's network and competencies for moving forward. 3Z now has the financial means to forge ahead, getting our current assets ready for the clinic and managing outsourcing activities while initiating the next screens." To find out more, please visit or follow on Linkedin. CONTACT: Karl Ægir Karlsson [email protected] +3548256467 This information was brought to you by Cision The following files are available for download: SOURCE 3Z ehf