GENEVA--(Marketwire - Jan 29, 2013) - Addex Therapeutics / Addex Dipraglurant Reduces Motor Abnormalities in a Preclinical Model Relevant for Several Rare types of Dystonia.
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Dipraglurant, a novel oral small molecule negative allosteric modulator of mGlu5 receptor, on track for Phase 2 clinical testing in the second half of 2013
Addex Therapeutics ( SIX : ADXN ), a leading company pioneering allosteric modulation-based drug discovery and development, announced positive preclinical data for its mGlu5 negative allosteric modulator (NAM) oral small molecule, dipraglurant, in a validated rodent model of dystonia, a spectrum of disorders, that includes several rare diseases and is characterized by debilitating involuntary muscle contractions and body movements. This is an area of high unmet medical need where many patients are left inadequately treated with the current standard of care. Dipraglurant demonstrated a robust and dose-dependent reduction in severity of a dystonia-like attack, induced by caffeine in the tottering mouse model. These data are consistent with earlier reported Addex findings in a Phase 2a clinical trial measuring levodopa-induced dyskinesia in Parkinson's patients as well as a non-human primate model of Parkinson's-related dystonia.
"The effects of dipraglurant in the mouse model are very compelling. They provide additional support for further exploration of mGlu5 inhibitors as a novel treatment for dystonia and also open new therapeutic avenues" said Professor Ellen Hess at Emory University (USA) in whose laboratory the study was performed.
The validation of the tottering mouse model in the laboratory of Professor Hess has been funded in part by the Bachmann-Strauss Dystonia and Parkinson Foundation. The model recapitulates key genetic and phenotypic features of so called episodic neurological disorders, that involve aberrant calcium channel functioning and susceptibility to neurological attacks in response to stress, alcohol or caffeine. In the study, acute, oral administration of dipraglurant (10, 30, 50 mg/kg) resulted in dose-dependent reductions of dystonia scores, achieving significant reductions at the highest dose in comparison to vehicle treatment. In a sub-group of experimental animals, dipraglurant fully blocked the onset of dystonia. These results demonstrate the potential of mGlu5 inhibition as a novel approach for the treatment of multiple types of dystonias, as well as other rare neurological conditions including familial hemiplegic migraine type 1, episodic ataxia type 2, and periodic paralysis.
"We are pleased that we continue to see broad therapeutic application for dipraglurant," said Bharatt Chowrira, CEO at Addex. "As we continue to seek a partner to advance dipraglurant in Parkinson's levodopa-induced-dyskinesia, we see great opportunity to take the compound forward in several rare disease indications including certain forms of dystonias. We look forward to starting Phase 2 clinical testing in the second half of 2013 with this potentially important movement disorder therapeutic".
About Dipraglurant
Dipraglurant is an oral, small molecule allosteric modulator that inhibits selectively the metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGlu5), a Class C G-Protein Coupled Receptor (GPCR), with potential to be used in combination with levodopa or dopamine agonists or as a standalone treatment for Parkinson's disease levodopa-induced dyskinesia (PD-LID), motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders. Data from a recent Phase 2a show that dipraglurant met the primary objective of the study by exhibiting a good safety and tolerability profile. Dipraglurant also demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in LID severity with both 50 and 100 mg doses. Dipraglurant appears to reduce dystonia severity in addition to chorea, the two major LID components. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study conducted in the US and Europe, the primary objective was to demonstrate safety and tolerability in PD-LID patients. In addition, the trial was designed to evaluate exploratory efficacy as a secondary objective. Efficacy was measured using the modified Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (mAIMS), patient diaries documenting "off-time" (impaired voluntary movement), "on-time" (with or without dyskinesia) and sleep. Additional endpoints include the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), the Clinician & Patient Global Impression of Change (CGIC & PGIC), and an evaluation of the patients' mood using the Hospital Anxiety & Depression Score. The trial was supported by a grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.