Hesperos wins grant to tackle drug-induced dementia

Hesperos has been awarded a NIA Phase IIB SBIR grant to study how combinations of medicines raise the risk of drug-induced dementia in older adults.

In partnership with GalenusRx, the company will use its Human-on-a-Chip (HoaC) multi-organ systems to examine how certain medicines interact and may drive cognitive decline.

The technology uses miniature organ systems that mimic human biological responses, letting researchers test drug combinations without human trials. Data from Hesperos’ multi-organ systems will feed into GalenusRx’s APPRAISE software, a tool intended to guide safer prescribing decisions.

Often, different doctors manage patients with several conditions — for example asthma, diabetes, hypertension and overactive bladder. While each medicine may be suitable on its own, combining regimens can raise the risk of harmful drug–drug interactions.

Of particular concern is anticholinergic burden — the cumulative effect of anticholinergic medicines, which block acetylcholine, a chemical messenger in the brain and body. This burden has been linked to cognitive decline and is especially risky for people who may already be at increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

Common anticholinergic medicines include certain antihistamines, bladder control drugs and some antidepressants. When several are taken together, their effects can add up, potentially impairing memory and thinking.

GalenusRx, founded in 2023, has developed the APPRAISE platform, which analyses drug–drug, multi-drug, drug–gene and drug–disease interactions to provide what the company describes as a comprehensive, DNA-level risk assessment.

The collaboration aims to address polypharmacy — the simultaneous use of multiple medicines — and the potential for predictable adverse drug events, which the companies say are a leading cause of death in the US and globally.