Quanterix Discovers Link Between Heart Attack–induced Hypoxia and Suspected Alzheimer’s Disease Pathway

April 12, 2011 - Single Molecule Technology First to Detect Increase in Alzheimer’s Disease Plaque Peptide Following Cardiac Arrest – Quanterix Corporation, enabling a new generation of diagnostics based on revolutionary Single Molecule Array (SiMoA™) technology, announced that significant elevations in blood levels of amyloid beta (Aβ) 42 peptide, a component of the plaques that are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, were detected in patients who experienced hypoxia (inadequate supply of oxygen to the brain) following cardiac arrest. The ability of SiMoA to measure extremely low abundance proteins has enabled discovery of a direct link between brain injury caused by hypoxia and increased Aβ42 levels in blood. Results were presented on April 12 at the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting April 9–16 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The Aβ42 testing was conducted at Quanterix on serum samples obtained from 26 resuscitated patients who were admitted to the Department of Surgical Sciences, Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. In the study, all 26 patients exhibited a significant elevation of Aβ42 ranging from approximately 50% to over 30–fold. "These data are the first to show a correlation between hypoxic stress and the upregulation of Aβ42 in humans. The findings also indicate that Aβ42 levels after cardiac arrest correlate with long term cognitive outcome. The study highlights the potential of SiMoA to illuminate disease pathways involving proteins present at previously undetectable levels." said David Wilson, Ph.D., Senior Director, Product Development at Quanterix and lead author of the study... Quanterix's Press Release -

Revalesio : Alzheimer’s Disease Research at National Neurology Conference

April 4, 2011 - Revalesio Corporation, a pioneering biotechnology company, and Rush University will present research on the use of RNS60 in Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) meeting April 9-16 in Honolulu, Hawaii.
“The data we’re presenting at AAN supports our work in establishing RNS60 as a strong therapeutic candidate across multiple inflammatory diseases,” said Richard Watson, M.D., Director of Clinical Research at Revalesio. “These findings, combined with the research recently presented at the American Society for Neurochemistry and American Academy of Asthma Allergy and Immunology, create a strong foundation for our development of novel CSN-based therapeutics to improve the outcomes of patients with inflammatory diseases. Combined with the excellent safety profile of RNS60 to date, the findings make a strong case for testing RNS60 in clinical trials,” said Dr. Watson.
Revalesio will present data at the national conference from studies in multiple preclinical models of Multiple Sclerosis that demonstrated a significant reduction in disease scores related to the use of RNS60. These results identify the strong potential of RNS60 as a low-risk therapeutic for treating Multiple Sclerosis.
Revalesio will also present data related to Alzheimer’s disease. In a well-established cell culture model of the disease, RNS60 dose-dependently inhibited the activation of a protein called Tau. Tau activation is a known cause behind the generation of neurofilament tangles often found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients and is widely considered to be a contributor to the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. RNS60 also protected neurons challenged with beta-amyloid from apoptosis (cell death)... Revalesio's Press Release -

Aurobindo Pharma : USFDA approval for Galantamine Tablets

30th March 2011 - Aurobindo Pharma Limited is pleased to announce that the company has received final approval from the US Food & Drug Administration (USFDA) to manufacture and market Galantamine Tablets USP 4mg, 8mg and 12mg

Galantamine Tablets USP 4mg, 8mg and 12mg is the generic version of Ortho McNeil Janssen Pharmaceutical, Inc's Razadyne® Tablets 4mg, 8mg and 12mg. The product falls under the neurological (CNS) therapeutic category and is indicated for the treatment of mild to moderate dementia of the Alzheimer's type. The product has a market size of approximately US$ 41 million for the twelve months ending September 2010 according to IMS and will be launched shortly... Aurobindo Pharma's Press Release -

Pico-Tesla : Alzheimer’s disease Study with University of South Florida (USF) Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute

Jan. 5, 2011 - Pico-Tesla starts pilot study of Magneceutical® Therapy for Alzheimer’s disease at University of South Florida (USF) Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute — Pico-Tesla, The Magneceutical® Company, announced that it has commenced a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study of 30 patients who have Alzheimer’s disease symptoms. The pilot study seeks to determine whether the application of magnetic fields generated by Pico-Tesla’s patented Resonator™ system can be effective as an adjunctive therapy to oral medications in reducing the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.

The study will be coordinated by Amanda Grant Smith, M.D., Medical Director of the USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute, University of South Florida (USF).

“We are very pleased to have Dr. Amanda Smith coordinating this important study that may help to explore the clinical potential of Magneceutical® Therapy for Alzheimer’s patients,” said Allen Braswell, CEO of Pico-Tesla.

Dr. Smith received her undergraduate degree from Emory University in 1992 and her medical degree from Jefferson Medical College in 1997. She did her internship, residency in psychiatry, and fellowship in geriatric psychiatry at the University of South Florida College of Medicine. Dr.
Smith is a Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, with subspecialty certification in geriatric psychiatry. She is a member of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry and a charter member of ISTAART, the International Society to Advance Alzheimer Research and Treatment... Pico-Tesla's Press Release -

BiOxyDyn Anatomical Connectivity Mapping (ACM) approach shows sensitivity to Alzheimer's disease

October 2010 - BiOxyDyn Anatomical Connectivity Mapping (ACM) approach shows sensitivity to Alzheimer's disease - Anatomical connectivity mapping, or ACM, is a technique that uses magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to detect subtle alterations in the 'wiring pattern' of the brain that can occur in a range of diseases. Recent work performed by Dr Marco Bozzali and colleagues at the Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, in conjunction with researcher from the University of Manchester, shows that ACM is more sensitive to some of subtle the effects of Alzheimer's on the brain than more established MRI measurements. Importantly, Dr Bozzali's team also show that ACM measurements are related to the severity of patient's memory impairment with Alzheimer's disease. BiOxyDyn's Press Releases -

NeuroPhage Pharmaceuticals : $12.4M Series B round

March 1, 2011 - NeuroPhage Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NeuroPhage), a privately held biotechnology company developing a protein disaggregation platform for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, announced that it has secured $12.4 million in Series B financing, which will be mostly directed to the IND-enabling activities in preparation of a Phase 1 clinical trial for NPT001, NeuroPhage’s lead product candidate for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, and include further work to expand the platform.

The round was led by Mérieux Développement and also included Shire LLC as a new investor. Existing investors reiterated their strong support in this Series B round, bringing the total amount of equity capital raised by NeuroPhage to $19.6 million since its inception in 2007... NeuroPhage Pharmaceuticals' Press Release -

Curaxis Pharmaceutical : CEO Patrick S. Smith Comments on Recent Alzheimer's Association

Feb. 7, 2011 -- Patrick S. Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer of Curaxis Pharmaceutical Corp. (OTCBB:CURX), commented on a new report by the Alzheimer's Association, titled "Generation Alzheimer's – the defining disease of the baby boomers", which demonstrates the devastating impact and size of Alzheimer's disease. Five million Americans have already been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and that number may increase as the Baby Boomer generation turns 65 this year, according to the report.
Mr. Smith stated, "With 10 million baby boomers expected to either die with or from Alzheimer's, it is certainly time for Curaxis to take its place in providing a solution for this debilitating disease. We are looking to complete our evaluation of potential candidates and engage a Contract Research Organization for Curaxis' upcoming Phase IIB clinical trial in the near term. From a cost competitive standpoint, as well as the high demand for Alzheimer's clinical work, our market timing for the selection of a CRO could not be better."
The phase IIB clinical trial for Curaxis' lead Alzheimer's disease treatment, Memryte, is anticipated to launch in mid 2011. Memryte addresses the pathologies of Alzheimer's through multiple pathways, including beta-amyloid, tau phosphorylation, inflammation and aberrant cell cycling... Curaxis Pharmaceutical's Press Release -

Repligen Licenses Rights to Use of HDAC3 Inhibitors for Memory Disorders

January 20, 2011 - Study Published in The Journal of Neuroscience – Repligen Corporation (NASDAQ: RGEN) announced that it has entered into an exclusive license agreement with the University of California, Irvine (UCI) for a patent application covering the use of histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) inhibitors for the treatment of disorders involving preservation or extinction of memory including Alzheimer’s disease, memory impairment and post traumatic stress disorder. The patent application is based on work conducted at UCI by Dr. Marcelo A. Wood, which demonstrated that one of Repligen’s HDAC3 inhibitors improved both the acquisition and persistence of long-term memory in an animal model. These data were published in the January 12th issue of The Journal of Neuroscience in a manuscript entitled “HDAC3 Is a Critical Negative Regulator of Long-Term Memory Formation” (McQuown, S., et al., J. Neurosci. (2011) 31:764 –774). Under the terms of the license agreement, UCI will receive an upfront payment, development milestones and royalties upon successful commercialization of an HDAC3 inhibitor for certain memory disorders. Upon issue, the patent will remain in force until 2031 prior to any regulatory extensions... [PDF] Repligen's Press Release -