Milestone transition in Astex Alzheimer’s Disease collaboration with AstraZeneca

25 October 2010 - Astex Therapeutics, the UK based biotechnology company developing targeted therapies for oncology and virology, announced that AstraZeneca has selected a candidate drug from its collaborative drug discovery programme aimed at identifying novel, small molecule inhibitors of beta-secretase - a key enzyme implicated in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. The selection of a candidate drug triggers a milestone payment to Astex which, under the terms of agreement, is eligible also to receive further milestones during clinical development and royalties on commercialisation of products derived from the collaboration. Financial details were not disclosed.

In the collaboration, Astex applied its fragment based drug discovery approach, Pyramid™, to identify novel lead compounds inhibiting the target. AstraZeneca is responsible for progressing the selected candidate drug through clinical development and eventually onto the market... Astex Therapeutics' Press Release -

Metabolon : Biochemical Understanding of Alzheimers Disease

October 13, 2010 — Metabolon, Inc., leaders in global metabolomics, biomarker discovery and biochemical analysis, announces the publication of “Ablation of the Locus Coeruleus (LC) Increases Oxidative Stress in Tg-2576 Transgenic But Not Wild-type Mice” in the International Journal of Alzheimer Disease. The paper examines the role of the LC on markers of oxidative stress in transgenic mice and was carried out as a collaboration among scientists at Pfizer, Proteostasis Therapeutics, the University of Dundee, Duke University and Metabolon. The paper is co-authored by Orest Hurko, Kurt Boudonck, Cathleen Gonzalez, J. Steve Jacobsen, Peter H. Reinhart, Crowther Daniel, Zoe A. Hughes.

Previous research in this area suggested that differences in inflammatory response observed in humans with Alzheimer disease and mouse models reflect a discrepancy in the state of the LC, the major site of norepinephrine synthesis in the brain. LC degeneration is an early change in human Alzheimer disease, but it is preserved in transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer disease... Metabolon's Press Release -

Star Scientific : Roskamp Institute's Plans to Conduct Human Alzheimer's Clinical Trials Using a Compound (RCP-006) Developed by Rock Creek Pharma...

Oct 07, 2010 - Star Scientific, Inc. (Nasdaq: CIGX) has issued the following comment by Paul L. Perito, Rock Creek Pharmaceuticals' Chairman and CEO:
"We are gratified that the Roskamp Institute, a highly credentialed scientific foundation, has made a significant medical discovery that we believe holds the potential for creating a therapy that could play a role in alleviating the scourge of Alzheimer's Disease. We are equally grateful that our talented scientific and medical team, inspired by the creativity of our parent company's founder, Jonnie R. Williams, has developed a compound, RCP-006, which the Roskamp Institute believes merits human clinical trials. We trust that these trials will determine the effectiveness of RCP-006 in treating this debilitating disease... Star Scientific's Press Release -

Roche and reMYND's DDD : strategic alliance to develop first-in-class disease-modifying treatments for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease

07-09-2010 - Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) and reMYND announced that they have entered into an agreement to develop novel therapeutics that could slow down neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s patients by inhibiting α-synuclein and tau toxicity.

The collaboration will focus on two of reMYND’s pre-clinical small molecule programmes targeting α-synuclein and tau related pathologies in appropriate model systems as well as potential back-up classes. Roche and reMYND will form joint teams to progress the programmes towards clinical studies. Roche will provide input into chemistry, lead-optimisation and pre-clinical development, while reMYND will continue to conduct non-clinical pharmacology studies and further elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. Roche will be responsible for all clinical development and worldwide commercialisation.

reMYND’s compounds are unique because they inhibit α-synuclein neurotoxicity in Parkinson's disease and tau neurotoxicity in Alzheimer's disease. As such they are considered disease modifying, whilst most currently available treatments only treat the symptoms of the disease... reMYND's Press Release -

Aquapharm and Dundee University : Research Collaboration to find Marine Compounds to target Alzheimer's

20th September 2010 - Research agreement combines leading expertise to discover marine natural product inhibitors of O-GlcNAcase - Aquapharm Biodiscovery, a leading marine biotechnology company, announced it has signed a research agreement with Dundee University to help it develop new drugs based on marine natural products that may help in the fight against Alzheimer's.
Alzheimer's is a disease marked by the formation of insoluble protein aggregates in the brain with associated progressive degeneration of the neurons. The collaboration is aimed at O-GIcNAcase, a well-documented target for Alzheimer's, that modulates the solubility of the protein in these aggregates but that has been difficult to target with conventional small-molecule libraries. It therefore forms an ideal opportunity to demonstrate that Aquapharm's growing collection of novel and diverse marine-derived compounds and scaffolds can modulate a clinically attractive but pharmacologically challenging target for a disease for which new solutions are urgently required... [PDF] Aquapharm Biodiscovery's Press Release -

Anavex 2-73: Anti-Amnesic and Neuroprotective Data Against Amyloid Toxicity for First of a New Class in Alzheimer’s Disease

Sept. 13, 2010 – Anavex Life Sciences Corp., (“ANAVEX” or the “Company”) (OTCBB: AVXL) announced that the Journal of Psychopharmacology has published an original paper showing that ANAVEX 2-73 and its only and active metabolite ANAVEX 19-144 alleviate neurotoxicity and cognition deficits associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

The paper, titled “Anti-amnesic and neuroprotective potentials of the mixed muscarinic receptor/sigma 1 ligand ANAVEX 2-73, a novel aminotetrahydrofuran derivative”, is available online at sagepub.com and cites biochemical, morphological and behavioral evidence from experiments conducted jointly between INSERM at University of Montpellier 2 and Anavex Life Sciences Corp.

Validated and well-recognized, standard non-transgenic animal models were used to show statistically significant neuroprotective effects via both muscarinic cholinergic and sigma-1 receptor agonism effects.

The authors compare the pharmacological profile of ANAVEX 2-73 to that of donepezil (marketed as ARICEPT(R)), the leading-selling drug approved for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, noting the greater potential benefits of ANAVEX 2-73. Amyloid-beta peptide has been shown to result in mitochondrial and endoplasmic reticulum stress, intracellular calcium dysregulation leading to oxidative stress and apoptosis (cell death). The authors point to the role of ANAVEX 2-73 in prevention of oxidative stress and apoptosis and other data suggesting modulation of Bcl-2 and reactive oxygen species... Anavex's Press Release -

Addex Pharmaceuticals : Drug Candidate Effective in Alzheimer’s Disease Model

2 September 2010 – Allosteric modulation company Addex Pharmaceuticals Ltd (SIX: ADXN) announced that it has observed efficacy in a model of Alzheimer’s disease using a recently discovered orally-available drug-candidate. The proprietary molecule specifically inhibits a receptor subtype called the metabotropic glutamate receptor 2 (mGluR2) via negative allosteric modulation (NAM). An Addex mGluR2 NAM is scheduled to enter Phase I clinical testing in healthy volunteers during 2011.

“Specifically targeting the signaling of the neurotransmitter glutamate using mGluR2 NAM is one of the most promising avenues of research for treating cognitive symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease... Addex Pharmaceuticals' Press Release -

Alectos Therapeutics : Collaboration with Merck to Develop Drugs for Alzheimer’s Disease.

August 11, 2010 - Collaboration Targets a Potential Non-Amyloid Approach to Treating Alzheimer’s Disease – Alectos Therapeutics Inc. announced a research collaboration with Merck, headquartered in Whitehouse Station, N.J., to identify and develop compounds that modulate O linked N-acetylglucosaminidase (O-GlcNAcase) an enzyme that is believed to be involved in the development of Alzheimer’s disease and potentially other disorders. The agreement provides Merck with a worldwide, exclusive license to research, develop and commercialize compounds that modulate this target.
Under the terms of the agreement, Merck has paid Alectos an upfront payment and will fund research to include study of Alectos’ existing portfolio of compounds targeting Alzheimer’s disease. Alectos is eligible to receive a total of US $289 million in an upfront fee, research, development and regulatory milestones and tiered royalty payments on sales of any products resulting from this collaboration.

Alectos and Merck will collaborate on discovery efforts and preclinical development. Merck is responsible for clinical development and will have worldwide marketing and commercialization rights to any resulting products... [PDF] Alectos Therapeutics' Press Release -