Neuropharma Reports Last Results On Its Research In Alzheimer's Disease

Main Category: Alzheimer's / Dementia
Also Included In: Clinical Trials / Drug Trials;  Pharma Industry / Biotech Industry
Article Date: 01 Aug 2008 - 4:00 PDT

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Neuropharma, Zeltia's subsidiary, devoted to the research and development of innovative drugs for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, reported new results in the International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease, held in Chicago (USA) on July 26-31, 2008.

Dr. Gomez-Isla, Head of Section of Neurology at the Hospital Santa Cruz y San Pablo, and scientific advisor of Neuropharma, reported in the symposium "Animal and cellular models" the efficacy results of NP-12 in a double hAPPxTau transgenic mouse model. The treatment with NP-12 for 3 months produced a significant improvement in cognitive functions and positive changes in several key histopathological features of the disease, such as decreased amyloid deposition, tau phosphorylation, and neuroinflammation, as well as a significant reduction on neuronal loss. These results confirm and complete the previously observed effects of NP-12 in other animal models.

NP-12 represents an innovative approach to the treatment of Alzheimer's Disease due to its activity on the two main molecular pathological processes, tau hiperphosphorylation and β-amyloid aggregation. NP-12 shows a potential clinically significant effect as a disease modifier for the treatment of Alzheimer's Disease and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Dr. Martinez, from the Spanish "Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas" and scientific advisor of Neuropharma, reviewed the potential disease modifying effect of non ATP-competitive inhibitors of GSK3, for the treatment of Alzheimer's Disease, in the symposium "Therapeutic strategies". NP-12, the first non ATPcompetitive inhibitor of GSK3, has been already administered to more than 140 healthy volunteers to date. Phase II clinical trial in patients is planned to start in the last quarter 2008.

Neuropharma also presented in the poster session a scientific communication describing a new family of compounds from marine origin, possessing a potent neuroprotective effect in response to different toxic stimuli. The prevention of neuronal death represents a promising strategy to slow down the progression of numerous neurodegenerative pathologies, where the oxidative stress, the metabolic dysfunction and the perturbation of cellular homeostasis, are common features.

In another communication in the same session, data on the biological activity in cellular models of a new highly specific GSK3 inhibitor of marine origin, as a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of Alzheimer's Disease and other taupathies was presented.

Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease ('AD') is a neurodegenerative disease characterised clinically by the progressive loss of cognitive functions, especially memory in initial phases, and histopathologically by deposits of β-amyloid peptide as neuritic senile plaques in the brain cortex and subcortical grey matter as well as intraneuronal neurofibrillary tangles formed by deposits of tau protein.

Around 26 million people are affected by Alzheimer's disease worldwide, of which more than the half is entitled to seven major pharmaceutical markets (USA, Japan, Germany, UK, France, Italy and Spain). It is calculated that the number of AD sufferers worldwide will triple by the year 2050. The increase of the prevalence is a result of the progressive rise in life expectancy, the improvement in health care and diagnosis techniques.

Current treatment for Alzheimer's disease is merely symptomatic, offering slight improvements and effective only during a limited period of time. There is an urgent need to develop a treatment with clinical efficacy capable of slow down or modifying the neurodegenerative progress causing AD.

Neuropharma

Neuropharma is a biopharmaceutical company devoted to the research and development of innovative drugs for the treatment and prevention of diseases of the nervous system.

Since it was formed in 2000, the company has focused its activity on Alzheimer's disease, and more specifically on the search for new approaches capable of modifying the progress of the disease and produce a cognitive and functional improvement in patients. Our strategy combines a unique, highly specialised primary screening platform for marine samples with a strong chemical optimisation effort to convert the identified compounds with biological activity into candidates for toxicological and clinical development. For this Neuropharma has access to Pharmamar's library for marine samples which includes more than 60,000 species.

Neuropharma has two compounds in clinical development having different mechanisms of action: - NP-12, a GSK-3 inhibitor, beginning phase II in the fourth quarter 2008. - NP-61, a modulator of the amyloid pathogenic cascade, in phase I.

Neuropharma currently have several NCEs (New Chemical Entities) relating to three new mechanisms of action in proof of concept. In addition, the first phases of characterisation have been opened for other conditions within the neurodegenerative disease field.

Neuropharma is a subsidiary of Zeltia (Madrid Stock Exchage: ZEL.MC; Bloomberg: ZEL SM; Reuters: ZEL.MC), Spanish group leader in biotechnology and chemical sector.

Neuropharma