Loop Bio — A CNS platform company for Tourette Syndrome, OCD, and CIAS

The problem

Only antipsychotics for TS. No new OCD drugs in 20+ years. No approved therapies for CIAS.

Existing therapies for Tourette Syndrome and OCD rely on drug classes with severe side effects. Patients deserve better.

Tourette Syndrome — 400K+ US patients. First-line options are off-label with modest effect; the only FDA-approved drugs are antipsychotics carrying sedation, weight gain, and movement-disorder risk.
OCD — 10M+ Americans affected. ~60% respond inadequately to first-line SSRIs, higher doses worsen sexual dysfunction and emotional blunting, and second-line adds antipsychotics.
CIAS — cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia. A large population with no approved therapies for the cognitive symptoms that most limit daily function.
>50% of TS patients have comorbid OCD. One approach can address both.

Teva's $700M acquisition of Emalex validated Tourette Syndrome as a development market — and the OCD and CIAS opportunities are substantially larger.

Our approach

One mechanism, many indications.

Loop Bio is built on a single novel mechanism with reach across multiple CNS disorders. Our lead program targets the CSTC circuitry shared by Tourette Syndrome and OCD — two disorders that frequently co-occur — while the same mechanism extends to cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia (CIAS), a large unmet need with no approved therapies. There, published placebo-controlled Phase 2 data demonstrated statistically significant improvements in cognition, independent of antipsychotic symptom control. Additional CNS indications are in view.

Target product profile

Indications	Tourette Syndrome, OCD, and CIAS
Target	Modulation of CNS circuitry
Safety edge	Designed to avoid sexual dysfunction, emotional blunting, weight gain, sedation, and movement disorders
Dosage	Chronic, oral, once daily

Why Loop Bio

Derisked through unusual advantages.

A typical preclinical CNS company begins with none of these.

Established human safety

Built on an active compound with a well-characterized human safety profile — derisking a hurdle most CNS programs face only years later.

Preliminary efficacy

Encouraging signals across clinical and preclinical settings support the therapeutic hypothesis.

Characterized pharmacokinetics

Human and preclinical PK already characterized, informing formulation and dose selection.

A novel mechanism

A specific, well-studied biological target with a differentiated profile. Details shared under confidentiality.

World-class expertise

A recognized OCD/TS authority as co-founder, alongside a founder with industry pedigree and a prior successful exit.

Robust IP

Composition-of-matter and method-of-treatment coverage providing exclusivity through 2047 and beyond.

2+ years of preclinical research at Yale.

In collaboration with the Pittenger Lab at Yale, the program has generated convergent preclinical evidence across multiple translational readouts — behavioral, molecular, and circuit-level — supporting the proposed mechanism in Tourette Syndrome and OCD, with readouts relevant to CIAS.

The team

Deep domain expertise.

Nicolas Cuba, MD — Founder & CEO: Former Founder & CEO of Alco Therapeutics (exited to Biohaven, March 2024). Has led the program since 2020.
Christopher Pittenger, MD, PhD — Co-founder & SAB Chair: Mears & Jameson Professor of Psychiatry, Yale. World authority on OCD and TS pathophysiology; pioneered histamine and glutamate research in the field.
Biohaven (NYSE: BHVN) — Shareholder & Board Seat: Shareholder, royalty rights, and one board seat. Acquired Alco Therapeutics IP in 2024.

Scientific Advisory Board & Consultants

Bruce Car, DVM, PhD, DACVP — SAB Member; CSO, Biohaven; former CSO, Agios. 25+ years at BMS, 18+ registrations.
Matthew State, MD, PhD — Clinical Dev / Neuroscience Consultant; Chair of Psychiatry, UCSF. Pioneered genetics of autism and Tourette.
Stephan Loose — BD Consultant; Managing Director, Old Street Strategy.
Ric Stanulis, PhD, DABT — Toxicology Consultant; CEO, Akkeri. Board-certified toxicologist, 25+ years.
Lynn Resnick — Chemistry & CMC Consultant; Executive Director, Biohaven. 20+ years of medicinal chemistry experience.