SandboxAQ and MapLight Collaborate on $200M CNS Therapy Development
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Dec 16 2025
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Source: Globenewswire
- Strategic Collaboration: SandboxAQ and MapLight Therapeutics have entered into a strategic partnership to develop first-in-class therapies targeting a novel G protein-coupled receptor, with joint preclinical research and MapLight holding exclusive rights for clinical development and commercialization.
- Financial Backing: Under the agreement, SandboxAQ received an upfront payment and is eligible for up to $200 million in additional milestone payments, significantly enhancing its R&D capabilities and accelerating the path to market for new therapies.
- Technological Innovation: SandboxAQ will deploy large-scale AI models and high-fidelity molecular simulations to rapidly explore receptor structure-functional activity, thereby accelerating the generation and optimization of potential drug candidates and improving R&D efficiency.
- Market Potential: This collaboration not only highlights both companies' technological strengths in CNS disorders but also has the potential to fill existing market gaps, addressing urgent patient needs for new therapies, which carries significant strategic implications.
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Analyst Views on MPLT
Wall Street analysts forecast MPLT stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for MPLT is 31.00 USD with a low forecast of 28.00 USD and a high forecast of 34.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
4 Analyst Rating
4 Buy
0 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 18.580
Low
28.00
Averages
31.00
High
34.00
Current: 18.580
Low
28.00
Averages
31.00
High
34.00
About MPLT
MapLight Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company. The Company is focused on improving the lives of patients suffering from debilitating central nervous system disorders (CNS). Its lead product candidate, ML-007C-MA, is a fixed-dose combination of an M1/M4 muscarinic agonist, ML-007, co-formulated with a peripherally acting anticholinergic (PAC), which it is initially developing for the treatment of schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease psychosis (ADP). ML-007C-MA is designed to activate both M1 and M4 muscarinic receptors in the CNS to drive efficacy, while synchronizing the pharmacokinetics of the agonist and antagonist components to mitigate peripheral cholinergic side effects. Its second product candidate, ML-004, is a 5-HT1B/1D agonist that the Company is developing for the treatment of social communication deficit and/or irritability in autism spectrum disorder. It is also advancing two preclinical programs, ML-021 and ML-009.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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