ANAVEX 2-73 (Tetrahydro-N,N-dimethyl-2,2-diphenyl-3-furanmethanamine hydrochloride) is a σ1 agonist (IC50 = 860 nM); also displays affinity for muscarinic M1-M4 receptors (Ki values < 500 nM), but not for σ2 receptors. Exhibits neuroprotective effects, prevents tau hyperphosphorylation, and attenuates scopolamine- and (+)-MK 801-induced learning deficits in a mouse model of amyloid toxicity.
Anavex Life Sciences Corp. (“Anavex” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: AVXL). On Saturday, investigators presented positive safety and cognitive efficacy data for ANAVEX 2-73, the Company’s lead investigational oral treatment for Alzheimer’s disease targeting sigma-1 and muscarinic receptors, which are believed to reduce protein misfolding including reduction of beta amyloid, tau protein and inflammation at the international CTAD 2015 conference in Barcelona, Spain.
Initial analysis of Phase 2a data demonstrated that the study met the primary objective of safety as ANAVEX 2-73 was well tolerated and results were consistent with prior Phase 1 clinical trial data. The secondary objectives were also met, with ANAVEX 2-73 showing cognitive improvement across all doses in all exploratory cognitive measurements, including the Cogstate battery, Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), event-related potentials (ERP) and P300 tests, which consistently demonstrated improvements from baseline in the completed PART A portion of the study in 32 mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s patients. Even though PART A was designed as a 5 week bioavailability trial that included a built-in wash-out period of 12 days and without an optimized dosing regimen, several Cogstate tests demonstrated highly statistically significant improvements. This finding was supported by a trend towards improvement in median MMSE score, which increased by +1.5 over baseline at week 5.
Positive effects on cognition were further supported by highly statistically significant biomarker effects of treatment at week 5 on one event-related potential (ERP) measure with a p-value of p<0.0007 and improvement in the P300 signal. The ERP biomarker scores improved compared to the initial data presented at AAIC in Washington, DC in July 2015, by which time not all patients had yet completed PART A.
All patients who completed PART A volunteered to continue in the longitudinal PART B extension study.
In the interim analysis of the first 14 patients at week 12, the PART B portion of the study demonstrated a positive trend towards improvement over 12 weeks of ANAVEX 2-73 treatment on the secondary functional outcome measure, the Alzheimer's Disease Co-operative Study - Activities of Daily Living Inventory (ADCS-ADL) by +3.21 points.
