MapLight Therapeutics Inc Dossier
Qualitative Analysis
Business overview
MapLight Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: MPLT) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing targeted, novel therapeutics to improve the lives of patients suffering from debilitating central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Founded in 2018 by globally recognized leaders in psychiatry and neuroscience, the company leverages a proprietary discovery platform that integrates circuit-based neuroscience, optogenetics, and advanced transcriptomics to identify neural circuits causally linked to disease and target them for therapeutic modulation. MapLight's lead clinical program is ML-007C-MA, an oral, extended-release, fixed-dose combination of the M1/M4 muscarinic receptor agonist ML-007 and a precision-matched, peripherally acting anticholinergic designed to drive central efficacy while mitigating peripheral cholinergic side effects.
Research as of 19 Jun 2026
Strategic Initiatives
Growth programs, investments, and their expected impact
Advancing the lead clinical candidate ML-007C-MA, a fixed-dose co-formulation of the M1/M4 muscarinic agonist ML-007 and a peripherally acting anticholinergic, designed to treat schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease psychosis while minimizing peripheral side effects.
Expected impact: Establishes a potentially best-in-class, safer, and more conveniently dosed alternative to existing antipsychotics and competing muscarinic therapies.
Evaluating ML-004, a selective 5-HT1B/1D agonist, in the Phase 2 IRIS trial targeting sociability and irritability deficits in patients with autism spectrum disorder.
Expected impact: Addresses a major unmet medical need in ASD with a novel circuit-specific mechanism.
Leveraging the company's proprietary circuit-based discovery platform (combining optogenetics, STARmap, and transcriptomics) to progress early-stage programs, including ML-009 (GPR52 PAM for hyperactivity/impulsivity), ML-055 (next-gen M1/M4 agonist), and ML-021 (M4 antagonist for Parkinson's disease).
Expected impact: Diversifies the company's neuropsychiatric and neurological portfolio beyond its lead clinical assets.
Mergers, Acquisitions & Partnerships
Recent deals and strategic collaborations
Strategic Partnerships
A strategic collaboration to discover and develop potential first-in-class therapies targeting a novel G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) for the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) disorders. The partnership combines SandboxAQ's AI and quantum-tech platform with MapLight's proprietary CNS discovery platform and expertise.
Terms: SandboxAQ received an upfront payment and is eligible to receive additional preclinical, development, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments of up to $200 million in aggregate, plus potential royalties.