First-in-class drug candidate (MPH-220) efficiently improves spastic gait disorders by selective inhibition of fast skeletal muscle myosin-2

Post-stroke muscle spasticity affects 37% of stroke survivors and disables self-supporting life management and ability to work. Current muscle relaxants are of limited efficiency (less than 40%) and cause serious neurological and cardiovascular side effects due to targeting the nervous system. We have developed a new-generation anti-spastic oral drug candidate, MPH-220, which directly and selectively inhibits fast skeletal myosin 2 isoforms. Brain-damage induced spastic animals showed drastic improvement in gait disorders upon oral MPH-220 treatment in different disease animal models.