Peptide News Digest

#Aivocode

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Clinical Trials · View digest

Aivocode CAQK Brain-Injury Tetrapeptide Phase 1 Preparation Following December 2025 EMBO Molecular Medicine Baseline

Aivocode is preparing first-in-human Phase 1 dosing for its CAQK tetrapeptide candidate in acute traumatic brain injury, building on the December 2025 EMBO Molecular Medicine paper that established the neuroprotective mechanism in rodent models. CAQK is a four-amino-acid peptide (Cys-Ala-Gln-Lys) that homes specifically to brain extracellular matrix exposed by tissue damage, enabling targeted delivery of therapeutic payloads to injured but not healthy brain regions. The preclinical data showed reduced lesion volume and improved functional recovery in mouse and rat TBI models when CAQK was conjugated to neuroprotective small molecules. The Phase 1 program — IND-enabling work ongoing — would represent one of the few peptide-based TBI candidates entering clinical testing, an indication with no FDA-approved neuroprotective therapies.

Research · View digest

EMBO Molecular Medicine: Aivocode CAQK Tetrapeptide Reduces Brain Lesion Size and Inflammation in Mouse and Pig TBI Models, FDA IND Planned

An IQAC-CSIC, UC Davis, and Aivocode collaboration published in EMBO Molecular Medicine demonstrates that the four-amino-acid peptide CAQK, given intravenously after acute traumatic brain injury, homes specifically to a protein overexpressed in injured brain tissue and reduces lesion size, inflammation, and cell death. In mouse and pig TBI models, CAQK-treated animals showed lower expression of inflammatory markers and improved memory and behavioral test outcomes versus untreated controls, with no overt toxicity. Aivocode — a Sanford Burnham Prebys spin-out — has signaled it will seek FDA authorization to begin Phase 1 human trials. The work targets a market with no approved drug for stopping secondary TBI damage; Spain alone records about 100,000 TBIs annually.