Cyclerion Therapeutics Pivots to Neuropsychiatry with MIT-Licensed Technology

Cyclerion Therapeutics, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based biotech company, has announced a significant strategic shift, repositioning itself as a neuropsychiatric-focused entity. This move marks the latest in a series of pivots for the company, which has previously explored heart failure, sickle cell disease, and mitochondria-related disorders.

New Focus on Treatment-Resistant Depression

The cornerstone of Cyclerion's relaunch is a technology licensed from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). This innovative approach leverages common anesthetic agents and a proprietary system to resynchronize communication between key brain regions and restore functional connectivity. The company's lead program will target treatment-resistant depression (TRD), with plans to expand into other neuropsychiatric conditions with significant unmet needs.

CEO Regina Graul, Ph.D., stated, "This agreement marks the launch of a new era at Cyclerion. We are building a company that combines the rigor of a leading biopharma with the agility of a startup." Graul emphasized the potential impact of their foundational therapeutic candidate, suggesting it could "represent the future of care in treatment-resistant depression."

Strategic Realignment and Future Plans

Cyclerion's new operating model is designed to "maximize value creation and advance programs through de-risked inflection points." The company has outlined an ambitious timeline, with a phase 2 trial for its lead program scheduled to begin in 2026.

This strategic pivot represents a significant departure from Cyclerion's previous focus areas. The company, which began as an Ironwood Pharma spinout, initially developed soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulators for rare and life-threatening disorders. After setbacks in heart failure, diabetic kidney disease, and sickle cell disease led to layoffs in 2020, the company briefly shifted its attention to central nervous system disorders before exploring mitochondria-related diseases in 2022.

As part of its transformation, Cyclerion has been divesting its sGC portfolio, signaling a complete break from its original therapeutic approach. This latest relaunch into neuropsychiatry represents the company's most dramatic reinvention to date, as it embraces an entirely new modality and therapeutic area.