Glen Rock, New Jersey — November 19, 2025 — Leads & Copy — RespireRx Pharmaceuticals Inc. has announced it received a grant from the NIH/NINDS and entered into an Amended and Restated Patent License Agreement with the University of Wisconsin Research Foundation.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) awarded RespireRx a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant of $1,499,869 for the budget period from September 23, 2025, through August 31, 2026. The award, number 1R44NS143576, falls under the SBIR program, which Congress created to bolster small, innovative companies in federally supported research and development.
The project aims to complete preclinical toxicology studies and other related work to support an investigational new drug application (IND) for clinical trials of RespireRx’s lead GABAkine, KRM-II-81, for epilepsy treatment. The project is slated to run for two years, ending August 31, 2027, with a total requested amount of $2,999,738.
RespireRx also entered into an Amended and Restated Patent License Agreement with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) Research Foundation, Inc., licensing rights to certain selectively acting GABAkines developed by Dr. James Cook at UWM. These GABAkines selectively amplify inhibitory neurotransmission at GABAA receptors, potentially offering a unique efficacy profile with fewer side effects.
Preclinical studies have shown the efficacy of these GABAkines in animal models of neurological and psychiatric disorders, including epilepsy, pain, anxiety, and depression, with reduced sedation, motor-impairment, or risk of tolerance, dependence, and abuse. EndeavourRx LLC, a subsidiary of RespireRx, will focus on developing KRM-II-81 for epilepsy and pain treatment.
KRM-II-81 has demonstrated anti-seizure activity in preclinical studies, including treatment-resistant models, without developing pharmaco-resistance or tolerance. Translational studies have shown KRM-II-81’s ability to reduce epileptiform electrical activity in brain slices from treatment-resistant epileptic patients.
The company has also licensed and characterized structural analogs of KRM-II-81 to support the program’s development. KRM-II-81 has also displayed analgesic activity in preclinical studies, comparable to or greater than commonly used analgesics, without side effects associated with opioid analgesics.
Under the amended patent license agreement, UWM Research Foundation (UWMRF) and RespireRx Pharmaceuticals have revised regulatory milestone-based payments, royalty structures, and patent cost reimbursements. The agreement eliminates UWMRF equity provisions for a fixed exit fee tied to liquidity events and clarifies intellectual property definitions.
RespireRx Pharmaceuticals Inc. and its subsidiaries, EndeavourRx LLC and ResolutionRx Ltd, discover and develop medicines for psychiatric and neurological disorders, including epilepsy, pain, ADHD, spinal cord injury recovery, neurological orphan diseases, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The RespireRx Group is developing neuromodulators, including GABAkines and AMPAkines, and pharmaceutical cannabinoids, including dronabinol.
ResolutionRx Ltd, formed in Australia in 2023, focuses on developing a new formulation of dronabinol for OSA treatment. The program’s budget is approximately US$16.5 million over several years, with anticipated Australian R&D Tax Incentive (R&DTI) benefits. Dronabinol has shown improvement in OSA symptoms in Phase 2 clinical trials, and ResolutionRx believes its repurposing strategy will allow a rapid regulatory approval pathway.
The new dronabinol formulations aim to overcome limitations of current commercial formulations, including enabling lower doses.
Jeff Margolis, Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary, can be reached at 917-834-7206 or via email at jmargolis@respirerx.com, jmargolis@endeavourrx.com, or jmargolis@resolutionrx.com.au.
Source: RespireRx Group
