An experimental drug that may improve memory is being tested in a phase 1 safety trial.

The compound, BPN14770, was developed by Tetra Discovery Partners, with support from the NIH Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Network, a program designed to facilitate the discovery and development of novel neurologic treatments. BPN14770 is the first compound funded by the program to reach a phase 1 clinical trial.

“The goal of the Blueprint Neurotherapuetics Network is to rapidly move promising ideas for treating seemingly incurable neurological disorders from the lab bench to the bedside,” said Amir Tamiz, Ph.D., program director at the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

The phase 1 study is being funded by the NINDS and the NIH’s National Institute on Aging. It will test safety and what happens to the drug inside the body in 48 healthy volunteers. If deemed safe, the next phase of testing will examine the drug’s effects on long-term memory and other aspects of cognition. Future research studies may test the effects of the drug in those with Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment.