EnVivo Pharmaceuticals Announces Significant Results From GSM Transgenic Mouse Model For Alzheimer's Disease

Main Category: Alzheimer's / Dementia
Also Included In: Pharma Industry / Biotech Industry
Article Date: 15 Jul 2010 - 2:00 PDT

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EnVivo Pharmaceuticals announced at the Alzheimer's Association 2010 International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease (ICAD) results from its proprietary gamma-secretase modulator (GSM) pre-clinical study. In a transgenic mouse model, EnVivo's EVP-0015962 reduced amyloid plaque buildup which is believed to be a cause of Alzheimer's disease, reversed behavioral deficits and reduced brain inflammation associated with Alzheimer's disease.

EVP-0015962 is a proprietary small molecule compound that belongs to a new generation of potential Alzheimer's drugs known as gamma-secretase modulators. EVP-0015962 selectively inhibits the production of the toxic aggregated amyloid AB42 peptide without affecting the total amount of AB. As EVP-0015962 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 AB42 species.

In its study, EnVivo was able to show that EVP-0015962 significantly reduced the production of total amyloid load as measured by plaque count, surface area and aggregated AB in the brains of transgenic mice after 12 months of daily oral administration. In the same model, mice developed deficits in the hippocampal memory task known as contextual fear conditioning. Chronic dosing with EVP-0015962 reversed these deficits returning the cognitive function to normal levels. In addition, EVP-0015962 reduced the amount of brain inflammation associated with amyloid plaque buildup in these animals.

These findings demonstrate continued positive effects in transgenic Alzheimer's animals with EVP-0015962. Given the multiple positive results from this and previous studies, EnVivo is confident it is close to concluding the pre-clinical development process and hopes to begin clinical trials in 2011.

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 is currently in Phase IIb 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 which is in preparation for Phase II studies, and several preclinical programs such as a Gamma Secretase Modulator (for Alzheimer's disease) and a PDE10 inhibitor program (for schizophrenia).

Source: EnVivo Pharmaceuticals

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