Our Science

Surgery. Chemotherapy.
Alzheimer's. Shared mechanisms.

We're building the drugs to interrupt them.

Nulyn Science is developing novel therapies for cognitive dysfunction in post-operative patients, cancer survivors, and Alzheimer's disease.

Read the science ↓ View our teaser deck
Post-Operative
25–30%
of surgical patients over 65 experience POCD
Cancer Survivors
50%
of patients on chemotherapy develop CICI
Alzheimer's
6.7M
Americans living with AD today, growing to 13M by 2050
The Mechanism

A shared pathway. Tractable targets.

Post-operative cognitive dysfunction. Chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment. Alzheimer's disease. These look like different problems. The biology says otherwise.

In each setting, the same neuroinflammatory cascade is activated: a peripheral insult primes microglia, which amplify local cytokine release via p38 MAPK signalling, driving synaptic dysfunction and cognitive decline.

This pathway is well-characterised. And critically — it's druggable.

Neuroinflammation is one of several mechanisms involved in cognitive dysfunction. It is the earliest detectable signal, appearing upstream of irreversible synaptic injury across all three settings — and the most tractable target for intervention.
Figure 1 The neuroinflammatory cascade Shared across POCD, CICI, and Alzheimer's

Triggering insult

peripheral — surgery, chemotherapy, or AD pathology

Cell activation

microglial priming

Signalling cascade

p38 MAPK

Cytokine release

TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6

Synaptic dysfunction

loss of LTP, dendritic remodelling

Cognitive decline

memory, attention, processing speed
Inhibited by
NS-001
p38 MAPK inhibition suppresses downstream cytokine release — interrupting the cascade upstream of synaptic injury.

Plain-language node labels; scientific terms in italics. NS-001 inhibits p38 MAPK, which suppresses downstream cytokine release.

Programme 01 · Acute Cognitive Decline

NS-001. Our lead program.

An FDA-approved, brain-penetrant anti-inflammatory small molecule, repositioned to protect cognition. Its ability to act on both systemic inflammation and neuroinflammation directly makes it uniquely suited to interrupt the shared cascade. Acute cognitive decline gives us the cleanest setting to validate the mechanism — a single drug, an external trigger, a defined window of intervention.

The Molecule

FDA-approved.
Repositioned to protect cognition.

Already approved by multiple regulatory agencies, NS-001 is a well-characterized anti-inflammatory small molecule. Its mechanism of action includes directly intervening in the neuroinflammatory cascade.

It has a well-established human safety profile from an established clinical safety record.

Founding Edge
Our founding team has direct mechanistic and clinical experience with NS-001 — giving Nulyn first-hand formulation and development insight into the molecule we are now repositioning.
Status
FDA approved
Safety Profile
Established clinical safety record
Mechanism
p38 MAPK inhibition
Step 02 Pre-clinical evidence
Figure 2 · IHC Panel NS-001's neuroprotective effect in action CICI study · microglial morphology
Microglia of control subjects
Microglia of control subjects
Microglia of NS-001 treated mice
Microglia of NS-001 treated mice
Microglia of disease control
Microglia of disease control

Microglial activation is a sensitive measure of inflammatory insult to the brain. Analysis of brain segments from sacrificed rodents in our CICI study shows a clear visual signature of NS-001's neuroprotective effect — treated microglia retain the ramified, resting morphology of healthy controls.

Step 03 Two acute indications
Programme 01a · Phase 2 Planned

Post-Operative
Cognitive
Dysfunction

POCD affects an estimated 25–30% of surgical patients over 65. It is characterised by measurable decline in memory, attention, and processing speed following surgery and anaesthesia. In an estimated 5% of surgical patients it progresses to chronic dementia and Alzheimer's — a direct bridge from an acute trigger to neurodegenerative disease. There is no approved pharmacological treatment.

Key Pre-Clinical Finding
A single pre-operative dose led to statistically significant improvements in behavioural outcomes and in the concentration of inflammatory cytokines.

A Phase 2 randomised controlled trial is in development. Protocol Q3 2026.

Programme 01b · Expanded Access Live

Chemotherapy-
Induced Cognitive
Impairment

CICI ('chemo brain') affects 50% of patients receiving chemotherapy. Symptoms include persistent difficulties with memory, concentration, and executive function that can last months to years after treatment ends.

Available Now
NS-001 is available through the individual patient IND pathway. Nulyn supports physicians with the full submission package.

A Phase 2 trial is in development. Phase 2 planned 2027.

Treating a patient who may benefit? We support individual patient INDs at no cost.

Request the physician guide →
Programme 02 · Alzheimer's Disease

Extending the mechanism to neurodegenerative disease.

The same neuroinflammatory cascade we target in acute cognitive decline is present in Alzheimer's. Validating NS-001 in POCD and CICI gives us a clean, fast read on the shared mechanisms of acute and chronic cognitive decline — and combining it with NS-002 opens the opportunity to treat chronic indications like Alzheimer's disease, where the biology is broader.

Alzheimer's adds a second pathological arm that runs chronically and is molecularly coupled to the first. We address it with a second FDA-approved small molecule, NS-002, repositioned in combination. Two upstream levers. Two coupled mechanisms. One coordinated intervention.

Together, NS-001 + NS-002 produce a pleiotropic effect across the coupled system — a protected combination uniquely suited to a disease the field has historically tackled one target at a time.

NS-001
Targets the neuroinflammatory cascade via p38 MAPK inhibition. The same mechanism validated in acute cognitive decline, extended into chronic disease.
NS-002
A second FDA-approved small molecule, repositioned. Addresses the additional pathological arm specific to neurodegenerative disease, molecularly coupled to the arm targeted by NS-001.
Together
NS-001 + NS-002 · Coordinated upstream intervention
Synergistic combination · Pleiotropic effects · Protected composition
Figure 3 The combination hypothesis Two coupled arms, two coordinated interventions
Neuroinflammatory arm
NS-001
FDA-approved · repositioned
The same cascade validated in acute cognitive decline, addressed upstream.
Addressed by NS-001
molecularly
coupled
Neurodegenerative arm
NS-002
FDA-approved · repositioned
Addresses the additional, chronic arm specific to neurodegeneration.
Addressed by NS-002
Coordinated on
Two coupled arms · one coherent intervention
Each drug works upstream on its own arm; together they cover the coupled system.
Together
NS-001 + NS-002
Dual upstream intervention · Pleiotropic effects · Protected composition
Intellectual Property
Composition-of-matter patent applications filed.
Public language pending legal review.
Pre-Clinical Studies
3xTg-AD mice studies imminent at our pre-clinical CRO.
In silico experiments completed.
Key Property
Two drugs. Two distinct but coupled targets.
A protected, pleiotropic composition that a single-agent therapy cannot replicate.
For Investors

Interested in our Alzheimer's programme?

Our Series A opens Q4 2026 — request the deck for the full plan.

View teaser deck →
Pipeline

Three indications.
Same mechanisms.

Acute cognitive decline gives us the fastest, cleanest read on the mechanism — a defined window of intervention and an existing safety record. The same root pathway is present in Alzheimer's, where the combination with NS-002 extends the intervention to the additional coupled arm. One programme, extending from acute proof to chronic intervention.

Programme Drug(s) Stage Key Milestone
POCD NS-001 Phase 2 (planned) Trial design Q3 2026
CICI NS-001 Expanded access · Phase 2 (planned) Phase 2 planned 2027
AD Combination NS-001 + NS-002 Pre-clinical (active) 3xTg-AD data H1 2027
Our Mission
Innovative · Bold · Experienced
To advance standards of care for previously overlooked conditions by accelerating innovative medical treatments from conception to market.
Our Values
Responsibility,
Transparency,
Accessibility.
01
Responsibility
We are driven by a strong sense of responsibility to serve as many people as we can — quickly, affordably, and ethically. We do the right thing and deliver outcomes our patients can rely on, as we continuously work to earn the trust of those we serve.
02
Transparency
We believe global healthcare systems bureaucracies keep life-changing treatments from those who need them most. We are persistent in our pursuit of truth, and committed to communicating with clarity and consistency.
03
Accessibility
We exist to serve the many and to meet their previously unmet medical needs. Our foremost task is to deliver reliable, affordable, and accessible treatments to diverse populations on the edges of standard healthcare systems.
Our Team
All advisors →

Founded by experts.

AU
CEO
Dr. André Ulmann
Former CEO & Founder of HRA Pharma. Global leader in women's health. Led initial commercialisation of NS-002.
AN
CIO
Arnold Newman
Serial entrepreneur. Multiple successful exits in pharma and government. Extensive experience in drug development.
AK
Head of Operations
Antoine Karsenty
Operations, partnerships, and study logistics. Liaison to clinical and regulatory partners.
VD
Clinical Director
Dr. Vincent Degos
Sorbonne APHP. Neuroanaesthesiology, brain trauma, and post-operative cognitive outcomes.
Get Involved
For Clinicians

Treating a patient?

We support individual patient INDs for NS-001 at no cost. Expanded access is available now for CICI. Contact us and we'll send the full physician package within 24 hours.

Request the physician guide →
For Researchers

Working in this space?

We're building a research consortium around the EIC Pathfinder Alzheimer's programme and are open to collaboration with academic groups in neuroinflammation, ageing, and AD biology.

Get in touch →
Series A · Q4 2026

Our Series A
opens Q4 2026.

Nulyn Science is advancing NS-001 to Phase 2 in POCD and CICI, and taking the NS-001 + NS-002 AD combination through IND-enabling pre-clinical studies. We have validated mechanisms, existing safety data, and novel IP. View teaser deck for the full plan.

View our teaser deck → akarsenty@nulynscience.com  ↗