Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Astrocyte Pharmaceuticals Inc. received a $399,680 Project Grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse under the Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs (CFDA 93.279) to conduct preclinical research on AST-004, a novel therapeutic candidate for psychostimulant use disorder. The award, dated July 15, 2026, supports research through June 30, 2027, to evaluate the efficacy of oral AST-004 in reducing cocaine and methamphetamine self-administration and seeking behaviors in animal models without inducing non-specific effects on hedonia or anxiety. The compound operates through astrocytic receptor mechanisms—a relatively unexplored therapeutic avenue—and has demonstrated promising safety profiles in previous stroke and traumatic brain injury studies as well as Phase 1 human clinical trials.

The research is conducted as a collaborative effort between Astrocyte Pharmaceuticals and established substance abuse research laboratories at the University of Texas San Antonio and the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. The project leverages AST-004's documented properties, including excellent oral bioavailability and enhancement of astrocyte mitochondrial function and antioxidant levels, combined with preliminary evidence suggesting the compound can decrease cocaine self-administration in mice and reduce cue-induced cocaine-seeking behavior in rats. The proposed studies are designed to extend and validate these preliminary findings through systematic evaluation in both rat and mouse models, advancing the compound toward potential therapeutic development for a condition with limited FDA-approved treatment options.