UNSCRIPTED SCIENCE

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UNEXPECTED OUTCOMES

Born from a chance discovery, Mercaptor is dedicated to reshaping neurology through innovation and compassion, turning scientific uncertainty into a driving force for a future where neurology shines as a robust pillar in medicine.

Introducing CAPTON™️ Technology

Using our proprietary CAPTON™️ platform, Mercaptor Inc. is developing a new class of prodrugs, known as Captons, to address acute and progressive conditions of the central nervous system. Captons are formulated from bioactive molecules—both established and undiscovered—engineered to efficiently reach the brain while remaining inactive in the absence of neuropathology. With a focus on countering inflammation and excitotoxicity, our groundbreaking therapeutic design is poised to revolutionize the field of neurology.

Science Worth Exploring

Much of our time and effort has revolved around sulfur biochemistry. One day, we tripped over something unexpected, a result lying outside of our assumptions. The opportunity obliges us to take responsibility for the continued development of what we have learned.
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Captons set themselves apart from other CNS therapeutics. As small-molecule drugs, Captons rely on sulfonic acid functional groups for their biological activity. They are pharmacokinetically enabled and pharmacodynamically disabled by substituting the sulfonate for a thiol.

Thiol substitution for sulfonate enhances the drug’s ability to traverse the blood-brain barrier (BBB). In the presence of elevated levels of both redox-active transition metal ions and reactive oxygen species (ROS), the Captons’ thiol can be oxidized back to the biologically active sulfonate.

Elevated concentrations of free metals and ROS in tissues, combined with the absence of blood albumin, create a unique environment exclusive to areas of the brain subjected to insult or injury—not in healthy brain tissue or the periphery.

Guided by the behavior of Captons, therapeutic activity is elicited at doses and locations determined through dynamic interactions with the targeted neuropathology.

In the laboratoryWith Captons our approach is investigational and without precedent. It promises significant improvements in the performance of a variety of drugs.

If dosage is metered and delimited by the pathogenic species it is designed to treat, interference in healthy tissue function could be minimized.

Avoiding the false comfort of certainty, honest scientists sometimes catch a glimpse into the infinite Universe.

These rare insights are more likely to help move the world forward than countless years spent trying to prove expectations. The opportunity obliges us to take responsibility for the continued development of what we have learned.

Up With People

Mercaptor is a privately-held company, headquartered in Novato, California. We strive to do good science, sweeten brutal honesty with genuine friendship, and share each workday with as many dogs as possible.

Real Science

Whether we are at the bench, at the computer, or walking the dogs, we are a symbiotic assemblage of scientists.
Meet The Team

Mercaptor News

ALEA Journal

Mercaptor in the ALEA Journal

We happy to be picked up by the ALEA Journal: https://issuu.com/aleajournal/docs/alea_journal_with_new_logo_position/13 For more on the ALEA Journal, click here.

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