Promentis Pharmaceuticals

Promentis Pharmaceuticals is a privately held, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, developing novel oral small-molecule therapies for neuropsychiatric disorders. The company's platform is built around System xc-, a cystine/glutamate antiporter that modulates glutamate signaling in brain circuits implicated in urge control and executive function. Promentis's lead program targets trichotillomania — a highly prevalent obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder for which no FDA-approved therapy exists — and has advanced into Phase 2 clinical trials. The company's broader pipeline applies the same glutamatergic mechanism to other obsessive-compulsive, addictive, and CNS disorders. Promentis was co-founded by neuroscientists from Marquette University and the Medical College of Wisconsin, including Drs. John Mantsch and David Baker.