Afraxis, Inc.
La Jolla, CA
Afraxis is discovering and developing drugs to treat diseases through the modulation of p21-activated kinase (PAK). Afraxis’ initial indication of interest is Fragile X syndrome with future expansion into other CNS diseases, including schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders. By inhibiting PAK, a protein that regulates the development and maturation of synaptic connections that are defective in mental retardation syndromes and other CNS diseases, Afraxis will target CNS disease modification rather than just treat symptoms. PAK is also implicated in a number of different oncological settings and Afraxis is exploring the potential of PAK inhibitors for the treatment of cancers such as neurofibromatosis, breast cancer and lung cancer.