Alto Neuroscience announces new patent for depression treatment
Esme Needham | January 15, 2026 | News story | Sales and Marketing | Alto Neuroscience, Psychiatry, depression
Alto Neuroscience, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company specialising in precision treatments for neuropsychiatric conditions, has announced the issuance of a US patent for methods of treating depression with Alto’s ALTO-207 (pramipexole and ondansetron).
The patent protects the use of ondansetron to reduce side effects associated with pramipexole, allowing patients to take higher doses of pramipexole and achieve greater antidepressant benefits. It also protects Alto’s intellectual property relating to ALTO-207, which is currently being developed as an investigational treatment for patients with depression that is resistant to other therapies.
Alto has stated that, alongside previous patents and pending applications, its intellectual property portfolio relating to ALTO-207 should guarantee protection into the mid-2040s. The issuance of the new US patent builds on the company’s goal of creating a diverse portfolio of precision-driven treatments.
A phase 2a clinical trial of ALTO-207 evaluated 32 patients with depression and met both its primary and secondary endpoints. Those receiving ALTO-207 demonstrated significantly greater improvements than those receiving placebo, as measured by the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). The trial also showed that ALTO-207 had a favourable tolerability and safety profile, with comparable rates of adverse events between treatment and placebo arms.
“This patent issuance meaningfully strengthens the foundation of our ALTO-207 franchise,” said Amit Etkin, founder and CEO of Alto. “Robust and durable intellectual property is critical as we advance precision-based treatments for depression.”
This article featured in: January/February 2026 – The Pharmafile Brief
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