First-in-Human (FIH) Trial
This is the very first time a drug is given to people — never humans before, only animals (and cell cultures). It's essentially Phase 1a. The goals are:
1. Safety — does the drug cause unexpected side effects in humans?
2. Dose-finding — what dose levels can people tolerate?
3. Pharmacokinetics — how does the human body process this drug?
Why it matters for MHS: Alaw Therapeutics dosing their first patient in AL-605's FIH trial means we're moving closer to CDK2 inhibitors being available as a potential symptomatic treatment for MHS. AL-605 is specifically designed to cross the blood-brain barrier, which is critical for any MHS therapy. While currently in oncology trials, the mechanism (CDK2 inhibition) is directly relevant to the MEF2C-p21-CDK2 neuroinflammation pathway.