This funding will enable the project, stemming from the research of the Molecular Mechanisms in Neurodegenerative Dementias – MMDN laboratory (UM, Inserm, EPHE) and supported by the Montpellier BIC and SATT AxLR, to accelerate the development of SIT3060. This drug candidate is the result of research identifying a dysfunction in the communication between two essential cell structures: the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria.
Wolfram syndrome is characterized by diabetes mellitus, optic atrophy, and can also involve sensorineural hearing loss and other complications, leading to progressive health deterioration and reduced life expectancy. Currently, no treatment directly addresses the underlying mechanisms of the disease.
The creation of the startup Sitera Pharmaceuticals, which is developing SIT3060, represents a significant step in valorizing this academic research. The project was also recognized with the Innovation Prize from the PUI of Montpellier in 2026.
The ANR grant, awarded under the Erdera call for projects, will help consolidate a European consortium involving academic laboratories, patient associations, and the economic sector. A doctoral student will be recruited to specifically study the effects of chronic treatment with SIT3060 on vision loss in a mouse model of Wolfram syndrome and to determine its protective signaling pathways.
Over the next three years, partners will aim to validate the efficacy of SIT3060 in various preclinical models of Wolfram syndrome, with the goal of accelerating its development towards clinical trials. The research will also explore the potential of this approach for other pathologies with similar communication deficits between the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria.
“"I am extremely proud and honored to coordinate this European consortium, which should bring a new drug candidate to treat Wolfram syndrome and related diseases. I would like to particularly thank the University of Montpellier, which has mobilized all the necessary resources to facilitate the obtaining of this particularly competitive funding."
