Elixir Pharmaceuticals said its partner Siena Biotech has begun the Phase I clinical trial of its inhibitor for the treatment of Huntington’s Disease.

Its first-in-class SIRT1 (sirtuin-1) inhibitor is in a Phase 1a combined single and multiple ascending and multiple ascending dose study in the EU to assess safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics in healthy volunteers.

Elixir CSP Peter DiStefano said it is a major accomplishment for the company and its partner firm.

“This represents the first sirtuin inhibitor to enter clinical trials and validates the work of our drug discovery and design programme focused on the sirtuin family of enzymes, specifically, our selective SIRT1 inhibitor programme,” DiStefano said.