Steven G. Kaminsky Scout Program

Steven G. Kaminsky Scout Program 

International Rett Syndrome Foundation’s Steven G. Kaminsky Scout Program is dedicated to proactively accelerating Rett syndrome research. Our proprietary program allows for the testing of new or repurposed compounds for potential use in Rett syndrome through a drug discovery screen in a female mouse model of Rett syndrome. 

ACCELERATING RESEARCH 

The Steve. G. Kaminsky Scout Program provides a rigorous platform for drug companies to screen new or repurposed compounds that they believe might be useful in treating Rett syndrome. This program allows industry to more quickly evaluate their drug’s potentialsaving them significant time and money.   To date, twenty-seven companies have utilized Scout Program screening.   

IRSF provides the testing environment through our Contract Research Organization (CRO), PsychoGenics, Inc. in Tarrytown, NY.  Dr. Taleen Hanania, Senior Vice President of Behavioral Pharmacology leads the testing team.   

POSITIVE RESULTS  

Since its inception in 2013, the Steven G. Kaminsky Scout Program has tested over 33 compounds. Multiple compounds screened through the program have moved through to clinical trials, both in the United States and abroad. 

An initial Scout Advisory Committee was created to develop and prioritize the biological pathways to target and the compounds to be tested in the Scout Program. This following and others have helped build the Scout Program:

Dr. John McCall, PharMac, LLC
Dr. Garry Smith, Fox Chase Chemical Diversity Center, Inc.
Dr. Stephen Ginsberg, Nathan Kline Institute, New York University
Dr. Aleksandra Djukic, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Dr. Raj Ratan, Burke Medical Research Institute, Cornell University
Dr. Marcie Glicksman, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard University
Dr. Dani Brunner, EarlySignals 

For more information about the Steven G. Kaminsky Scout Program, please contact [email protected] 

DEDICATED TO DR. KAMINSKY  

In 2013, IRSF launched the Scout Program under the direction of Chief Science Officer, Steven G. Kaminsky, PhD to use the RTT mouse model to screen discovery drugs. In 2019, the Scout Program was renamed to honor Dr. Kaminsky in his pursuit of a treatment and a cure for Rett syndrome. 

Give to THE Steven G. Kaminsky Scout Program Fund

Scout Program News & Publications:  

March 2019 – RSO Honors Chief Science Officer 

May 2018 – Understanding the Scout Program

December 6, 2016 – Revive Therapeutics Ltd. Announces Positive Study Results in Rett Syndrome 

October 2016 – A Case Study of Rettsyndrome.org’s Scout Program

May 20, 2016 – Anavex Announces US FDA Orphan Drug Designation to Anavex 2-73 for the Treatment of Rett Syndrome

April 28, 2015 – Revive Therapeutics Announces Positive Study Results