EnVivo Pharmaceuticals Announces Results Showing In-Vivo Reduction Of Aggregated B-Amyloid

Main Category: Alzheimer's / Dementia
Also Included In: Clinical Trials / Drug Trials;  Pharma Industry / Biotech Industry
Article Date: 09 Dec 2009 - 1:00 PDT

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EnVivo Pharmaceuticals reported the successful reduction in the levels of aggregated Abeta or Beta-Amyloid in an aged transgenic model (Tg2576) of Alzheimer's disease with its lead gamma-secretase modulator (GSM) EVP-0962. The aggregated Abeta, containing predominately oligomeric and larger Abeta fibrillar species, is considered to be the toxic entity in Alzheimer's disease. The reduction of these aggregates further supports the disease modifying potential of EVP-0962 as reported in previous studies.

GSMs are a new generation of potential Alzheimer drugs. The proprietary small molecule EVP-0962 selectively inhibits the production of the toxic Abeta42 peptide without affecting the total amount of Abeta. As EVP-0962 does not affect other gamma secretase substrates required for normal function, such as Notch, it is predicted to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease by reducing the disease-associated toxic Abeta42 species and to display an intrinsically superior safety profile compared to gamma secretase inhibitors (GSIs).

The study results were obtained as part of a collaborative effort with Amorfix Life Sciences, using its A4 Assay for the quantitative detection of aggregated Abeta. The A4 Assay can detect accumulation of Abeta in standard Alzheimer's disease animal models several months before conventional microscopic procedures thereby accelerating the preclinical screening of new drugs for Alzheimer's disease. A4 is significantly more sensitive than current methods for detecting toxic oligomers and amyloid and can be used in high-throughput applications. The data independently confirmed previously reported results (International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease 2009, Vienna, and Society for Neuroscience 2009, Chicago) by EnVivo that demonstrated potent Abeta42 lowering and concomitant positive effects on cognition in the Tg2576 model. The selective decrease in Abeta42 and now the reduction of the aggregated Abeta further demonstrates that EVP-0962 is a potent GSM.

About EnVivo Pharmaceuticals

EnVivo Pharmaceuticals, located in Watertown, Mass., is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering and developing small molecule therapeutics for disorders of the central nervous system, with a current focus on Alzheimer's disease, Cognitive Disorders and Schizophrenia. The company's lead product is an alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist and has been tested in Phase IIa clinical trials for cognition disorders in Alzheimer's disease and Schizophrenia. The company's other programs include an epigenetics program based on Histone Deacetylase inhibition (HDACi) with EVP-0334 as the lead molecule for cognition in Alzheimer's disease which is in Phase I studies, and several preclinical programs such as a Gamma Secretase Modulator (for Alzheimer's disease) and a PDE10 inhibitor program (for Schizophrenia).

About Amorfix

Amorfix Life Sciences Ltd. (TSX: AMF) is a theranostics company developing therapeutic products and diagnostic devices targeting misfolded protein diseases including ALS, Alzheimer's disease, variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) and Cancer. Amorfix's proprietary Epitope Protection(TM) (EP) technology enables it to specifically identify very low levels of aggregated misfolded proteins (AMP) in a sample of normal protein. Amorfix utilizes its computational discovery platform, ProMIS(TM), to predict novel Disease Specific Epitopes(TM) (DSE) on the molecular surface of misfolded proteins. ProMIS(TM) is an "in silico" rational selection approach that can be applied to any protein where the normal folding structure is at least partially known. Amorfix's lead therapeutic programs include antibodies and vaccines to DSEs in ALS, Alzheimer's disease and Cancer. The Company's diagnostic programs include a blood screening test for vCJD and the A4 test for the detection of aggregated Abeta.

Source: EnVivo Pharmaceuticals

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