Blog

Dubai, UAE, June 26th, 2026, FinanceWire

STARTRADER takes Dubai’s bias for action and makes it the standard it holds itself to across the brokerage industry.

STARTRADER today introduced “STARTRADER-it,” its expression in financial services of Dubai-it, the philosophy His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum gave the city as a verb for turning ambition into action. In a city that has always traded, STARTRADER pointed to what it has built: a Capital Market Authority (CMA) license in the UAE, access to more than 1,000 CFD instruments, fully automated account opening, and a 280% year-on-year rise in new account openings in Q1 2026 alone. As His Highness described the standard: “We say what we do, and we do what we say.”

Dubai has always been a city that trades. Centuries ago, merchants lined the Creek with pearls, gold, and spices, exchanging goods across the Gulf on nothing more than a handshake and a reputation built over generations. The commodity changed hands. Trust did not. That same instinct drives markets today, only the tools have transformed beyond recognition. Where merchants once weighed gold by hand, traders now execute positions in milliseconds. Where a dhow carries inventory across open water, a single app carries access to over 1,000 instruments across global markets. This is what it means to STARTRADER-it: to take Dubai’s oldest instinct, the drive to trade, to move fast, to back yourself with something real, and bring it into the most sophisticated trading environment the city has ever seen, engineered for the speed and precision modern traders demand. STARTRADER does not just operate in this market; it reflects where Dubai’s trading identity has arrived.

Built for this era and licensed in the UAE by the Capital Market Authority, while operating through regulated entities worldwide, STARTRADER has, since 2019, moved fast and stayed steady: a global team of approximately 1,000, more than 30 industry awards, and recognition in 2025 as Most Reputable Forex Broker at the Forex Expo Dubai, for Best Forex Trade Execution at the Wiki Finance Expo in Cyprus, and as Best Broker in Trading Technology at Wealth Expo Peru. Traders feel that record from the very first step, where account opening is fully automated, removing the friction and paperwork that once stood between a trader and their first position. It is Dubai-it made practical: efficiency built into the system and felt by the client, turning what used to take time into what happens now.

This is the foundation of the confidence traders place in STARTRADER, the idea the company anchored its brand earlier this year in a single line: Built on Trust. Driven by Growth.

That confidence matters more than ever as Dubai strengthens its standing as a global center for finance, and as competition among brokers shifts from who can offer market access to who can be trusted to deliver it. With more platforms and providers to choose from than ever, traders increasingly decide where to open an account, and whether to stay, on reliability and a proven record.

“Dubai did not build its reputation by talking about ambition. It built it by turning ambition into skylines, into trade routes, into one of the world’s great financial centres. STARTRADER-it is our answer to that same call: show up, deliver, and let the record speak.” – Peter Karsten, Chief Executive Officer, STARTRADER.

To Dubai-it is to turn commitment into visible action. As a reflection of that philosophy, to STARTRADER-it is to keep earning trust through every improvement, every delivered commitment, and every client experience.

About STARTRADER

STARTRADER is a global multi-asset broker empowering retail and institutional partners to access global markets through a range of platforms, including MetaTrader, STAR-APP, and STAR-COPY.

Regulated infive jurisdictions (CMA, ASIC, FSCA, FSA, and FSC), STARTRADER combines strong governance with a client-first approach, serving both retail clients and partners with a commitment to transparency, reliability, and long-term growth.

Contact

Janna Magabilen
STARTRADER
Janna.magabilen@startrader.com

New York, United States, June 24th, 2026, FinanceWire

S&P Global Ratings has upgraded ratings on several subsidiaries of Freedom Holding Corp., a Nasdaq-listed international investment and technology group. The ratings on Freedom Finance JSC, Freedom Finance Europe Ltd., Freedom Finance Global PLC, and Freedom Bank Kazakhstan JSC were raised to “BB-” with stable outlooks.

S&P also upgraded the long-term Kazakhstan national scale ratings on Freedom Finance JSC and Freedom Bank Kazakhstan JSC to “kzA-.” Earlier, the agency affirmed Kazakhstan’s sovereign credit ratings at “kzAAA” on the national scale and “BBB-” with a positive outlook. Freedom Holding Corp.’s rating remained at “B-” with a stable outlook.

According to S&P, Freedom has shown positive momentum in risk management both within the holding company itself and across the group’s subsidiaries. S&P said this should allow the group to more closely monitor and control risks within its growing business, including sanctions compliance, cybersecurity, reputational, regulatory and cryptocurrency risks.

The agency expects the group to maintain strong capitalization metrics over the next 12–24 months, despite ongoing investments in telecommunications and consumer lifestyle businesses. According to S&P, Freedom’s earnings metrics remain strong, with a three-year average operating profit-to-risk-weighted-assets ratio of approximately 2.2% for the period from March 2024 to March 2026, which remains high in an international context.

S&P also said the development of Freedom’s financial and non-financial businesses is not expected to place significant pressure on Freedom Holding Corp.’s capitalization.

The agency also highlighted Freedom’s position as one of Kazakhstan’s leading digital fintech ecosystems, noting the group’s SuperApp mobile application. Monthly active users of the app stood at approximately 2.6 million in March 2026.

In its rating update, S&P took into account Freedom Holding Corp.’s annual report for fiscal year 2026. The company reported record revenue of $2.19 billion and a twofold increase in net income to $153.3 million. Freedom also significantly expanded its client base across key business segments. The number of users of the bank’s services doubled over the year to 5.03 million, while the brokerage client base grew by 26% to 858,000 clients. In the insurance and other segments, Freedom serves around 2.2 million people. Overall, the client base of the company’s digital ecosystem across all operating markets exceeded 14 million people by the end of fiscal year 2026.

“The expansion of our digital ecosystem beyond our home region, where we built an effective business model in a relatively short period of time, is a key element of our long-term development strategy,” said Timur Turlov, CEO of Freedom Holding Corp. “We are already seeing strong growth in Europe, are close to obtaining banking and brokerage licenses in Turkey, and are actively developing our business in the United States and the Middle East. In Kazakhstan, we have built the experience, expertise and resources needed to compete for global leadership.”

As of May 1, 2026, Freedom’s European brokerage business had reached 453,000 clients. Freedom has also announced plans to expand its banking and digital ecosystem operations in several international markets. In early June, the company said it had applied for a banking license in France and planned to invest €500 million in developing its digital ecosystem there. Freedom also expects to invest $300 million in expanding its Turkish operations and has announced the acquisition of 99.32% of the shares of Turkish Bank. The company’s digital banking subsidiary has been operating in Tajikistan since October 2025, and in November 2025, Kazakhstan’s financial regulator granted Freedom permission to open a bank in Georgia.

About Freedom Holding Corp.

Freedom Holding Corp. provides financial services in 22 countries, including Kazakhstan, the United States, Cyprus, Poland, Spain, Uzbekistan, and Armenia. The Company’s principal executive office is located in New York City. In Kazakhstan, Freedom is actively developing its financial and digital ecosystem, which includes Freedom Bank, Freedom Broker, the insurance companies Freedom Life and Freedom insurance, as well as a lifestyle segment that features Arbuz.kz, Freedom Ticketon, and Aviata. Freedom Holding Corp. shares are traded on the U.S. technology exchange NASDAQ, the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE), and the Astana International Exchange (AIX) under the ticker symbol FRHC. Freedom Holding Corp. is regulated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the common stock is included in Russell 3000 Index.

Contact

Head of Public Relations
Natalia Kharlashina
Freedom Holding Corp.
prglobal@ffin.kz
+77013641454

Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, June 24th, 2026, FinanceWire

Fintech developer Virell Trade has officially announced the launch of Stabliq Wallet, a secure, non-custodial cryptocurrency wallet engineered specifically for the management of stablecoins across the Ethereum and TRON networks. Designed to enhance digital asset security and accessibility, the application provides comprehensive storage, transfer, and exchange capabilities for major stablecoins, including USDT and USDC.

To mitigate the complexities typically associated with decentralized finance (DeFi), Stabliq Wallet introduces a specialized architectural design that appeals to both institutional digital asset managers and retail users entering the Web3 ecosystem.

Key Infrastructure and Technical Features Include:

• Gasless Ethereum Token Swaps: The wallet features native in-app token exchange capabilities on the Ethereum network, incorporating advanced transaction routing that eliminates the standard requirement for users to hold native Ether (ETH) to cover network gas fees.
• Non-Custodial Security Framework: Built on a strict zero-trust, non-custodial architecture, the platform ensures users retain exclusive ownership of their private keys. Local security protocols are reinforced by biometrics (Face ID), password protection, and standardized seed phrase recovery mechanisms.
• Multi-Account and Multi-Network Integration: Users can manage multiple distinct accounts, import existing wallets via standard seed phrases, and track cross-network digital assets seamlessly within a unified interface.
• Operational Workflow Optimization: The application streamlines daily transactions through an integrated address book, comprehensive transaction historical ledgers, custom token import support, and quick-response (QR) code transfer protocols.

By focusing on the dual infrastructure of Ethereum and TRON — the two largest networks for stablecoin volume — Stabliq Wallet directly addresses the market’s demand for high-throughput, secure, and cost-effective digital asset management.

• Representative of Virell Trade: «Stabliq Wallet uses a non-custodial architecture, meaning users have full control over their private keys. Security features include Face ID, password protection, and seed phrase backup», said the company.

About Virell Trade

Virell Trade is a digital asset technology company based in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE. The firm specializes in developing secure Web3 infrastructure, decentralized financial applications, and consumer-focused blockchain tools designed to enhance efficiency and security in the global digital economy. For more information, users can visit the official Stabliq Wallet platform.

Contact

Stabliq Wallet
dev@virell.io

Dubai, UAE, June 24th, 2026, FinanceWire

Rapid addition of the largest IPO in market history underscores the broker’s commitment to meeting trader demand in real time

STARTRADER has added SPCX CFD (Space Exploration Technologies Corp.) to its trading platform, making the instrument available on MT5 from 15 June 2026 and on the STARTRADER App from 18 June 2026. The listing comes just three days after SpaceX’s Nasdaq debut on 12 June, one of the fastest turnarounds in the broker’s instrument launch history.

SpaceX’s IPO was the largest in U.S. market history, raising $85 billion through the sale of more than 555 million shares at an offer price of $135. The stock closed its first session at $160.95, up 19%, with trading volume exceeding 500 million shares. The scale of investor interest made rapid platform availability a priority for brokers serving active retail traders.

For STARTRADER, the decision to list SPCX CFD within days of its public debut reflects a broader principle that has guided the company’s growth: when traders want access, the platform delivers. Expanding the US equities offering with one of the most in-demand instruments on the market is a direct response to the trading community’s expectations, and a measure of the operational readiness required to act on them.

That speed carries a trust signal. Listing a newly public stock at this scale requires coordination across compliance, platform integration, and risk management. Doing it within days of the IPO, with 5x leverage and extended trading hours (Monday to Friday, 16:30-23:00), subject to applicable entity conditions, demonstrates the infrastructure and responsiveness that STARTRADER’s clients have come to rely on.

“When the largest IPO in history enters the public market, demand for timely access can be significant. Listing SPCX CFD within days of its Nasdaq debut reflects our focus on providing timely access to newly available instruments.” Peter Karsten, Chief Executive Officer, STARTRADER

The addition of SPCX CFD is part of STARTRADER’s continued expansion across asset classes, driven by client demand and a commitment to keeping the platform aligned with where markets are moving. With several high-profile technology companies that market participants have been watching closely, the infrastructure and processes behind this listing are designed to support future product launches as they become available.

About STARTRADER 

STARTRADER is a global multi-asset broker empowering retail and institutional partners to access global markets through a range of platforms, including MetaTrader, STAR-APP, and STAR-COPY. Regulated and licensed through entities across five jurisdictions (CMA, ASIC, FSCA, FSA, and FSC), STARTRADER operates in accordance with the permissions granted to each respective entity and combines strong governance with a client-first approach, serving both retail clients and partners with a commitment to transparency, reliability, and long-term growth.

Disclaimer: The content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice, an offer, or solicitation to buy or sell any financial instruments. Services may not be available in all jurisdictions and are subject to local regulatory restrictions. Trading in financial instruments, including CFDs, involves risk and may not be suitable for all investors. You may lose more than your initial investment.

Contact

Janna Magabilen
STARTRADER
Janna.magabilen@startrader.com

New York, New York, June 23rd, 2026, FinanceWire

This integration brings LatAm last-mile rail depth to the Borderless.xyz network

Borderless.xyz, the global stablecoin orchestration and liquidity network, today announced that alfred has joined its network as a Participating Financial Institution (PFI), expanding stablecoin on/off-ramp coverage across Latin America. The partnership adds depth in corridors and rail types that Borderless.xyz customers have been actively requesting, available immediately through their existing API integration.

alfred is LatAm last-mile payments infrastructure that bridges stablecoins and local banking systems across 11 countries and 13 payment rails. Their Penny API provides a single interface for KYC/KYB onboarding, fiat-stablecoin conversion, on/off-ramp transactions, virtual accounts, and fiat-to-fiat transfers. Alfred’s network includes Colombia’s leading digital wallet rails, named virtual accounts in Argentina, and live coverage across markets like the Dominican Republic, Bolivia, and El Salvador where most providers fall short.

“Our customers come to us because they need LatAm coverage that actually works at depth, not just the major corridors. Alfred fills the gaps we’ve been hearing about most consistently, from Colombia’s digital wallet ecosystem to the Dominican Republic to named virtual accounts in Argentina. Adding them to the network means our customers get that coverage through the same integration they’re already on.” – Kevin Lehtiniitty, CEO of Borderless.xyz

“We’re big fans of Kevin, Alex and the whole Borderless team and we’re proud to support the Borderless.xyz network with the infrastructure businesses need to move funds reliably across key LATAM markets and payment rails throughout the region.” – Luis Miller, Head of Partnerships at alfred. 

alfred’s corridors are available to all existing Borderless.xyz customers immediately, with no additional onboarding, contract negotiation, or API integration required. New customers can access Alfred’s coverage as part of the Borderless.xyz network starting today. Borderless.xyz‘s network currently connects wallet infrastructure to 14+ locally-licensed stablecoin providers across 94+ countries and 63+ fiat currencies.

About alfred

Alfred is a Miami-based fintech company that provides a payments infrastructure platform to bridge legacy payment systems with digital and crypto-based infrastructures across Latin America. Founded in 2022 by Diego Yanez, Matias Plano, Luis Miller, Marino A Marrero B, and Ronald Johnson, the company was born from firsthand experience with the complexities of cross-border payments. To learn more, users can visit the website: alfredpay.io

About Borderless.xyz

Borderless.xyz is a global stablecoin orchestration and liquidity network. Its single API connects wallet infrastructure to 14+ licensed stablecoin providers across 94+ countries and 63+ fiat currencies, giving businesses the speed of an aggregator with the economics of going direct. Borderless.xyz is SOC 2 Type II certified and headquartered in New York. To learn more, users can visit the website: borderless.xyz.

Contact

Sarah Cohen
SJC PR
sarah@sjc-pr.com

Lake Forest, Illions, June 23rd, 2026, FinanceWire

ACTIVIST SHAREHOLDER FILES SCHEDULE 13D IN EQUUS TOTAL RETURN, INC. 

Calls for Immediate Board Accountability and Strategic Review 

Issues Open Letter Ahead of June 30 Annual Meeting

A beneficial owner of approximately 5.61% of the outstanding common stock of Equus Total Return, Inc. (NYSE: EQS) has filed a Schedule 13D with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and issued the following open letter to the Company’s Board of Directors and fellow shareholders. The filing represents the first public challenge to the Board’s stewardship during the Company’s fifteen-year tenure under current management. Shareholders are encouraged to review the Company’s proxy materials carefully and form their own views regarding the matters set forth below. 

— Open Letter to the Board of Directors and Shareholders of Equus Total Return, Inc. — 

A Record That Warrants Scrutiny

Since the current chief executive assumed control in 2011, the fund has faced persistent challenges in generating sustained value for its shareholders. The Company has reported five consecutive years of net investment losses, has paid no dividend since 2009, and last year saw its stock price fall below the NYSE minimum listing threshold. Every figure cited below is drawn directly from the Company’s own filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. My opinions, conclusions, and calls for corporate action are also based on these filings.

Net asset value per share declined to $1.19 as of December 31, 2025, down from $3.55 just two years prior and from $2.17 at year-end 2024. In absolute dollars, total net asset value of the fund — calculated as NAV per share multiplied by shares outstanding as reported in each year’s Form 10-K — dropped from approximately $48.2 million at year-end 2023 to approximately $16.6 million at year-end 2025, a loss of roughly $31.6 million in aggregate fund value, or 65%, in just two years.

The Company recorded a net investment loss of $3.7 million in 2025, its fifth consecutive year of net investment losses, including three straight years with losses exceeding $3 million. Total operating expenses for the year were $5.1 million — at a company that ended 2025 with only $133,000 in cash. The Company’s independent registered public accounting firm included a going-concern explanatory paragraph in its audit report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025. No dividends have been paid since 2009, meaning shareholders have waited seventeen years without any return of capital. In 2025, the Company’s stock fell below $1.00 per share, triggering a formal NYSE non-compliance notice and a near-delisting proceeding.

The portfolio today consists of two primary positions. The first is Morgan E&P, a private oil and gas company in which Equus holds a majority interest and which management values entirely on its own judgment. Morgan E&P represented 60.8% of total investments and 63.4% of net asset value as of December 31, 2025, yet generated only $177,000 in revenue during the year while recording a net loss of $7.0 million. The second is a publicly traded stake in CitroTech, Inc. (NYSE American: CITR), a developer of fire suppression products. Equus acquired its CitroTech position through a convertible note that it converted into 664,041 shares during 2025. As of December 31, 2025, the combined value of the Company’s CitroTech shares and warrants was approximately $6.8 million, making it the Company’s second-largest holding and its only meaningful source of liquidity.

Taken together, these two positions account for nearly the entirety of the Company’s portfolio. It is clear to me that Equus is not a diversified investment firm. I view it as a concentrated holding vehicle for one illiquid private energy asset and one publicly traded fire suppression company, and it charges shareholders $5.1 million per year in operating expenses for that arrangement.

Management Compensates Itself Regardless of Results

In my judgment, the executive compensation structure at Equus is the defining feature of this governance failure. In 2025, while shareholders received no dividends and watched net asset value fall by more than a dollar per share, the three named executive officers collected a combined $1,872,271 in total compensation. The chief executive received $896,943, including a base salary of $561,401. That salary is contractually required to escalate annually by the greater of five percent or the Canadian Consumer Price Index — regardless of performance — plus stock awards valued at $335,542. The secretary and chief compliance officer received $625,515, including a salary of $457,744 subject to a similar automatic escalator tied to the U.S. Consumer Price Index, plus $167,771 in restricted stock. The chief financial officer received $349,813 in total compensation under a separate fixed-base agreement. This combined executive pay is equivalent to roughly twenty-two percent of the Company’s entire non-affiliate market capitalization of approximately $8.6 million.

In September 2025, the Board granted 200,523 fully-vested restricted shares to executives and approved a new equity incentive plan reserving an additional 2,793,339 shares for future awards. Shareholders were separately asked to authorize share issuances below net asset value. In my view, these actions represent a transfer of value from shareholders to insiders at a company that has produced no positive investment income in five years. It is notable that at the most recent annual meeting, approximately 23.5% of shareholder votes were cast against executive compensation — a level of dissent that the Compensation Committee described in its own proxy as confirmation “that the Company’s shareholders support the Company’s executive compensation policies and decisions.”

Independent Directors With No Meaningful Stake in the Outcome

The three independent directors on the Equus board have, in my view, no meaningful skin in the game. Per the Company’s own proxy beneficial ownership table, Fraser Atkinson holds 45,591 shares, Henry W. Hankinson holds 19,500 shares, and John J. May holds no shares at all — a combined independent director stake of approximately 65,091 shares, or less than 0.47% of shares outstanding. These are the individuals responsible for setting executive compensation, approving share issuances below net asset value, and overseeing a portfolio that has lost more than two-thirds of its value since 2023. In my judgment, they bear virtually no personal financial consequence from any of those decisions.

The secretary and chief compliance officer — who received $625,515 in compensation in 2025 and holds 332,595 shares of the Company’s common stock — also sits on the board. Directors and executive officers as a group control approximately 30.5% of the outstanding shares, concentrated overwhelmingly in the chief executive. The three shareholders disclosing ownership above five percent are the chief executive (27.65%), a second major holder (22.71%), and the undersigned (5.61%). Non-affiliated shareholders hold the remainder yet have no meaningful representation at the table.

In my opinion, a governance structure in which independent directors hold less than one-half of one percent of shares outstanding, in which compensation escalates by contract regardless of results, and in which the chief executive controls the majority of the insider bloc, is not independent oversight. Rather, I believe it is an arrangement designed to perpetuate itself.

A Path Forward

The Annual Meeting of Stockholders is scheduled for June 30, 2026, eight calendar days from today. Equus holds real assets — a controlling interest in an energy company with identified acreage and a publicly traded position in a growing fire suppression business. The question I present is not whether value exists but whether management will unlock it or continue to extract it.

The Board should suspend all automatic base salary escalators for the chief executive and the secretary and chief compliance officer pending an independent compensation review. There is, in my opinion, no basis for contractually guaranteed annual raises — indexed to the Canadian CPI for the chief executive and the U.S. CPI for the secretary — at a company that has not generated positive investment income in five consecutive years. 

Most critically, I believe the Board must engage an independent financial advisor to evaluate a recharacterization of the business through a merger with or acquisition by an operating company. The Company’s portfolio — one controlling interest in a private energy asset and one publicly traded minority stake — is not, in my judgment, a viable long-term structure for a listed investment vehicle carrying $5.1 million in annual overhead. A transaction that introduces an operating business, an active management team, and a credible growth strategy would serve shareholders far better than the current arrangement. The fair value of the primary private investment is currently determined by management with no independent validation; a third-party appraisal must be completed and publicly disclosed before any such transaction is contemplated. The Board should also commit to issuing no further shares below net asset value and making no awards under the 2025 Equity Incentive Plan until a strategic review is concluded.

Conclusion 

Equus Total Return holds real assets and real value — value that, in my opinion, has been insufficiently protected under the current governance structure, which features excessive compensation, limited board independence, and directors with negligible personal stakes in the outcome. Shareholders should carefully review the Company’s proxy materials and make their own determination regarding all matters to be voted upon. I believe the assets of this Company can generate real returns under proper stewardship, and I respectfully urge the Board to take the steps outlined above in the interest of those who own the Company.

Respectfully submitted, 

Howard Todd Horberg 

Beneficial Owner — 783,000 shares (5.61%) of Equus Total Return, Inc. (NYSE: EQS) 

Schedule 13D Filed: June 23, 2026

Important Notice: This release is issued concurrently with the filing of a Schedule 13D with the SEC. This communication is not a solicitation of proxies within the meaning of SEC Rule 14a-1(l) and is not being made on behalf of any group seeking to solicit proxies. Nothing herein constitutes investment advice or a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. Statements of opinion are identified as such and reflect the personal views of the undersigned. All factual figures are derived from publicly available SEC filings of Equus Total Return, Inc., including the Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, the Definitive Proxy Statement (DEF 14A) filed April 30, 2026, and the Form 10-Q and related press release for the quarter ended March 31, 2026. Shareholders should consult their own legal, financial, and tax advisors.

Contact

Howard Todd Horberg
Horberg Enterprises
thorbyen@aol.com

Gainesville, United States, June 23rd, 2026, FinanceWire

X-tosis Receives Grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research to Advance Novel Parkinson’s Disease Therapy. The ward supports advancement of X-tosis’s mitochondrial approach and accelerates development of its lead Parkinson’s candidate toward the clinic.

X-tosis, Inc., a precision-medicine biotechnology company founded in 2024 and dedicated to developing novel mitochondrial therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases, today announced it has been awarded a $2.74 million grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) through its Parkinson’s Disease Therapeutics Pipeline Program. The funding will support advancement of XTS001, the lead candidate from the company’s MitoXTS platform, a patented family of small-molecule inhibitors of voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1) oligomerization, toward clinical development for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease (PD). The grant was awarded following a competitive peer-review process evaluating scientific innovation and translational potential.

The MJFF Parkinson’s Disease Therapeutics Pipeline Program accelerates promising PD therapies from preclinical to clinical stages by supporting innovative approaches that address core disease mechanisms.

XTS001 is a brain-penetrant, orally available small molecule designed to selectively inhibit VDAC1 oligomerization, a pathological process increasingly recognized as a central driver of mitochondrial failure, neuroinflammation, and neuronal loss in PD. Preclinical studies in animal models of PD and AD across the MitoXTS platform have demonstrated reduced dopaminergic neuron loss, restoration of dopamine levels, and protection against key PD-associated pathologies through preservation of mitochondrial function and prevention of apoptosis triggered by cellular stressors.

“This grant from MJFF is a major milestone for X-tosis and represents a strong validation of our MitoXTS approach to addressing unmet needs in Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases,” said Yotam Nisemblat, Chief Scientific Officer of X-tosis and Principal Investigator on the project. “By preserving mitochondrial integrity upstream in the neurodegeneration cascade, we aim to shift treatment from symptomatic relief to targeting underlying disease biology. We are grateful for MJFF’s support to advance confirmatory studies, biomarker development, and IND-enabling work.”

“This award from The Michael J. Fox Foundation is more than funding; it is support for further investigation of our scientific approach that mitochondrial dysfunction is a central addressable driver of Parkinson’s disease,” said Erin Henderson, CEO of X-tosis, Inc. “We believe XTS-001 represents a first-in-class opportunity to intervene upstream in the neurodegenerative cascade, potentially transforming the treatment paradigm from symptomatic management to targeting disease biology.. With MJFF’s support, we are accelerating toward IND-enabling studies and positioning XTS001 as a potential therapeutic approach for Parkinson’s disease and beyond.”

X-tosis’s MitoXTSTM platform is built upon more than five decades of pioneering research by Professor Varda Shoshan-Barmatz, PhD, a global leader in mitochondrial biology and VDAC1 specifically. Her groundbreaking work established VDAC1 as a central regulator of mitochondrial function and apoptosis, with direct implications for neurodegenerative diseases. With over 225 publications, more than 14,000 citations, and multiple patents covering VDAC1-targeted therapeutics, her discoveries form the scientific foundation of X-tosis’s pipeline.

X-tosis plans to leverage the grant to achieve key development milestones and position XTS001 for clinical trials. If successful, this work could contribute to the development of therapies with the potential to slow disease progression and improve outcomes for millions worldwide. Beyond Parkinson’s disease, the MitoXTS platform is being advanced across multiple neurodegenerative indications, positioning X-tosis with a diversified pipeline of precision mitochondrial therapeutics.

About Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease affects more than 10 million people globally and currently lacks approved disease-modifying therapies.

About X-tosis, Inc.

X-tosis, Inc. is a Gainesville, FL-based biotechnology company developing first-in-class mitochondrial therapeutics via the patented MitoXTS platform. By modulating VDAC1 oligomerization to restore mitochondrial health, reduce inflammation, and prevent neuronal death, X-tosis aims to transform treatment for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS, and related conditions. For more information, visit www.x-tosis.com.

Contact

CEO
Erin Henderson
X-tosis
info@x-tosis.com