Loop Bio
CNS biotech · Preclinical

Developing a novel therapy for Tourette Syndrome and OCD.

The two disorders share a brain circuit and frequently occur together. Loop Bio targets that circuit with a single mechanism, designed from the outset around safety.

Founded by a drug developer and a world authority on OCD and Tourette Syndrome pathophysiology — the team behind Alco Therapeutics’ exit to Biohaven.

400K+
Americans with Tourette Syndrome
10M+
Americans with OCD
up to50%
of Tourette Syndrome patients also have OCD
A spinout of Biohaven (NYSE: BHVN) — shareholder and board seat retained.
The problem

Only antipsychotics for TS. No new OCD drugs in 20+ years.

Existing therapies for Tourette Syndrome (TS) and OCD rely on drug classes with severe side effects. Patients deserve better.

  • Tourette Syndrome — 400K+ US patients. First-line options are off-label with modest effect; the only FDA-approved drugs are antipsychotics carrying sedation, weight gain, and movement-disorder risk.
  • OCD — 10M+ Americans affected. ~60% respond inadequately to first-line SSRIs, higher doses worsen sexual dysfunction and emotional blunting, and second-line adds antipsychotics.
  • Up to 50% of TS patients have comorbid OCD. One approach can address both.
Teva’s $700M acquisition of Emalex validated Tourette Syndrome as a development market — and the OCD opportunity is substantially larger.
Our approach

One circuit, two disorders.

Our program targets the CSTC circuitry shared by Tourette Syndrome and OCD — two disorders that frequently co-occur, so a single therapy can serve both. The mechanism also has human evidence behind it: in cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia (CIAS), published placebo-controlled Phase 2 data showed statistically significant improvements in cognition, independent of antipsychotic symptom control.

Target product profile

IndicationsTourette Syndrome and OCD
TargetModulation of CNS circuitry
Safety edgeDesigned to avoid sexual dysfunction, emotional blunting, weight gain, sedation, and movement disorders
DosageChronic, oral, once daily
Why Loop Bio

Derisked through unusual advantages.

A typical preclinical CNS company begins with none of these.

01

Established human safety

Built on an active compound with a well-characterized human safety profile — derisking a hurdle most CNS programs face only years later.

02

Preliminary efficacy

Encouraging signals across clinical and preclinical settings support the therapeutic hypothesis.

03

Characterized pharmacokinetics

Human and preclinical PK already characterized, informing formulation and dose selection.

04

A novel mechanism

A specific, well-studied biological target with a differentiated profile. Details shared under confidentiality.

05

World-class expertise

A recognized OCD/TS authority and a drug developer with industry pedigree — co-founders with a prior successful exit together.

06

Robust IP

Composition-of-matter and method-of-treatment coverage providing exclusivity through 2047 and beyond.

The science

2+ years of preclinical research at Yale.

In collaboration with the Pittenger Lab at Yale, the program has generated convergent preclinical evidence across multiple translational readouts — behavioral, molecular, and circuit-level — supporting the proposed mechanism in Tourette Syndrome and OCD.

The road so far

Six years in the making.

  1. Program leadership begins

    Nicolas Cuba begins leading the program — continuously, through every chapter since.

  2. Exit to Biohaven

    Alco Therapeutics, which Nicolas founded with Christopher Pittenger, exits to Biohaven (NYSE: BHVN). Nicolas stays on to lead the program inside Biohaven.

  3. Loop Bio spins out

    The program becomes an independent company. Biohaven remains a shareholder with a board seat.

The team

Deep domain expertise.

Nicolas Cuba, MD

Founder & CEO

Former Founder & CEO of Alco Therapeutics (exited to Biohaven, March 2024). Has led the program since 2020.

Christopher Pittenger, MD, PhD

Co-founder & SAB Chair

Mears & Jameson Professor of Psychiatry, Yale, and co-founder of Alco Therapeutics. World authority on OCD and TS pathophysiology; pioneered histamine and glutamate research in the field.

Biohaven (NYSE: BHVN)
Shareholder & Board Seat

Shareholder, royalty rights, and one board seat. Acquired Alco Therapeutics IP in 2024.

Advisors & consultants

Scientific Advisory Board
  • Barbara Slusher, PhD Leads the Drug Discovery Institute at Johns Hopkins.
  • Bruce Car, DVM, PhD, DACVP CSO, Bexorg; former CSO, Biohaven. 250+ drug candidates, 18+ drug registrations.
  • Daniel Alvarez, MD VP of Clinical Development, Viridian Therapeutics; formerly at Pfizer. 20+ years of clinical development across Phases 1–4.
Consultants & advisors
  • Amy Arnsten, PhD Professor of Neuroscience, Yale; leading researcher in higher cognitive circuits.
  • Lynn Resnick, PhD Executive Director, Biohaven; advises on chemistry & CMC, with 20+ years in medicinal chemistry.
  • Jian Xu, PhD Yale research scientist; preclinical neuroscience expertise.
  • Stephen Smith Co-founder & CEO, NOCD; built a 1M+ OCD patient community.
  • Stephan Loose CNS biotech operator; business development.
  • Steven Poskar, MD NYC OCD psychiatrist; OCD community engagement.