NRG Therapeutics Announces Further Expansion with the Appointment of Paul Thompson as Chief Development Officer

STEVENAGE, United Kingdom, Dec. 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NRG Therapeutics Ltd. (“NRG”), an innovative neuroscience company targeting a novel mechanism to address mitochondrial dysfunction, is pleased to announce expansion of its team with the appointment of Paul Thompson, PhD, as Chief Development Officer (CDO).

In his role at NRG, Paul will be project lead for NRG5051 which is on track to commence first-in-human studies in early 2026. NRG5051 is an oral, CNS-penetrant small molecule inhibitor of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) acting via a novel mechanism of action (MoA). Inhibition of the mPTP has been shown to be profoundly neuroprotective and significantly reduces neuroinflammation in pre-clinical models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)/motor neuron disease (MND), and Parkinson’s. Paul will also take responsibility for all non-clinical development functions within NRG.

Paul brings over 25 years’ experience in translational research, early clinical development, and pharma R&D, with a focus predominantly on neurology. Most recently he was CSO at Mission Therapeutics for five years, responsible for delivery of clinical candidate USP30 inhibitors for renal and CNS disorders. Paul led the MTX325 USP30 inhibitor project into Phase 1 for Parkinson’s, part funded by the Michael J Fox Foundation and co-authored two manuscripts on mitochondrial dysfunction and Parkinson’s in Nature journals. Prior to Mission, he was Clinical Science Director at ONO Pharma UK, leading clinical development of multiple early phase assets across a variety of indications, and his earlier career in pharma was spent at GSK, where he transitioned from laboratory biomarker research, through experimental medicine study leadership, to leading global project teams as Director of Neurology Discovery Medicine.

Paul is currently an advisor for the Michael J Fox Foundation on its Targets to Translation programs and continues to advise neurology start-up companies in the UK. He holds an MBiochem from the University of Oxford and a PhD from UCL.

Paul’s appointment follows a number of other senior hires on the back of NRG’s £50m Series B financing bringing the team to 12 including the three founders. The new funds provide runway for completion of a Phase 2 clinical proof of concept study of NRG5051 in ALS MND, while also generating meaningful clinical data in Parkinson’s patients through a Phase 1b study.

Paul Thompson, CDO of NRG Therapeutics, said, “I am looking forward to working with the NRG Therapeutics team to drive forward NRG5051 as potentially the first disease-modifying therapeutic for sporadic ALS/MND and dementia indications such as Parkinson’s. Developing new drugs to treat neurological diseases is very challenging but I have been very encouraged by the compelling in vivo efficacy data for NRG5051 in rodent models of Parkinson’s and ALS/MND, that has validated the molecules’ novel MoA and demonstrated the therapeutic potential of NRG5051. I was also excited to see NRG5051 results in reduction in neurofilament light chain (NfL), the clinically validated fluid biomarker of neurodegeneration.”

NRG Therapeutics’ co-founder and CEO Neil Miller said, “Paul is a fantastic addition to the team, and I welcome him into NRG. His skills and expertise will enable us to efficiently progress NRG5051 through first-in-human clinical trials and into a PoC in ALS/MND, and to lay the ground for development in other indications including Parkinson’s. He joins at a pivotal time as we seek to demonstrate the therapeutic potential of NRG’s first-in-class mPTP inhibitors as disease modifying medicines for neurodegenerative diseases.”

Media enquiries (for NRG Therapeutics)
Sue Charles, Charles Consultants - +44 7968 726585 sue@charles-consultants.com

About NRG Therapeutics – https://www.nrgtherapeutics.com

NRG Therapeutics is a neuroscience drug discovery company building a pipeline of disease-modifying mitochondrial therapeutics to slow or halt the progression of neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neurone disease (MND).

The company’s pre-clinical pipeline of small molecule assets is based on inhibiting the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) through a novel mechanism of action. Inhibition of the mPTP has been shown to protect neurones, reduce neuroinflammation and improve motor function in pre-clinical disease models. Its lead asset, NRG5051, has completed IND-enabling studies and is on track to enter the clinic in early 2026.

Based at the Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst (SBC), UK, NRG Therapeutics is a private company with equity investment from Brandon Capital, British Business Bank, Criteria Bio Ventures, Dementia Discovery Fund, M Ventures, Novartis Venture Fund, Omega Funds and Parkinson’s UK. The company has also received awards from Innovate UK (Biomedical Catalyst Award), The Michael J. Fox Foundation, Target ALS and The ALS Association to support its innovative R&D programmes.

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