Israel’s Therapix Biosciences has entered into an exclusive agreement with Catalent Pharma Solutions of New Jersey for the formulation, development and clinical manufacturing of THX-TS01, a first-in-class, proprietary investigational drug candidate for treating symptoms of Tourette Syndrome.

Catalent will develop THX-TS01 in softgel form at its development and manufacturing facility in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Tourette syndrome is a neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by involuntary or semi-voluntary physical and vocal tics that can have significant effects on the academic and social development of children. The worst symptoms usually are experienced by adults with intractable Tourette syndrome.

The Tourette drug candidate uniquely combines two cannabinoids, Tetrahydrocannabinol and Palmitoylethanolamide, into a single dose that could enhance both biological effect and duration beyond the capability of each component on its own.

“Our objective in developing THX-TS01 is to enable the commercialization of a more effective treatment for the symptoms of this devastating, unmet medical need. We believe that this agreement may bring us one step closer to this goal,” said Dr. Ascher Shmulewitz, Therapix’s chairman of the board of directors.

“This agreement with Catalent — a world-class drug development, delivery and supply organization — reflects our belief in the promise of THX-TS01 as we look forward to advanced-stage clinical trials and, if successful, commercialization.”

Therapix, a specialty clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on cannabinoid pharmaceuticals, recently announced results of a preclinical study showing that its other proprietary tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) drug candidate significantly reversed age-related cognitive impairment in old mice.