Turning CNS discovery into therapeutic assets
3Z discovers drug candidates for central nervous system disorders. We combine disease models, human genetics and translational evidence to build clinically relevant, patentable assets with a clear path to clinical development.
Research
Approved drugs.
New purpose.
Years faster to market.
Since 2008, 3Z has used zebrafish to study the brain and to search for new ways to treat its disorders.
Our work has covered sleep, Parkinson’s disease, ADHD and schizophrenia, and our discovery platform has grown with each project.
Current projects
3Z-20-003 · developed by LTCC ehf. · Phase IIa in preparation
ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders, and many patients either do not respond to current treatments or cannot tolerate their side effects.
Discovery
Schizophrenia affects about 27 million people worldwide, and up to a third of patients do not respond adequately to standard antipsychotic treatment.
Platform
Zebrafish screening
Zebrafish share most known human disease genes, and their larvae are small enough to test in large numbers. This lets us measure how a drug changes the behavior of a whole, living nervous system, at a scale usually limited to cell-based assays.
Method
From zebrafish to human therapeutics
Each stage removes weaker candidates and adds an independent line of evidence.
Only compounds that pass this assessment proceed to screening.
A machine-learning classifier then identifies the compounds that restore healthy, wild-type behavior.
Together, these studies clarify how each candidate works and point to biomarkers that can track its effect.
We measure drug levels in plasma and brain to confirm that the compound reaches the brain at relevant concentrations.
Finally, we turn to large human genetic datasets and biobanks to predict how a candidate may perform in patients.
Collaborators
Who we work with
We collaborate with universities and technology companies in Iceland and abroad.
Get in touch
Would you like to learn more about our research or discuss a collaboration? We would be glad to hear from you.