Nordic Life Science Pipeline Inc. is proud to announce completion of the first clinical trials of SpinalonTM, an oral pill composed of three active molecular entities capable together of triggering within minutes short bouts of locomotor-like activity in the legs of spinal cord- injured patients who had been chronically paralyzed for years.
In 2004, a breakthrough finding in mice1 revealed that this experimental treatment could indeed elicit on- demand, upon each administration, reactivation of specific spinal networks and, hence, corresponding walking movements on a treadmill. In 2009, Nordic signed a licensing agreement with Laval University and its main research hospital (CHU de Québec) to obtain the exclusive rights of further developing this new technology.
In 2012, Nordic undertook the first round of clinical trials coordinated by Mr. Mario Vaillancourt (head of clinical affairs at Nordic) and independently conducted by clinical experts, Dr Mohan Radhakrishna (physiatrist, McGill University Health Center) and Dr. François Prince (head, department of kinesiology, University of Montréal). With significant financial support from the US Department of Defense, the study was completed last August. No safety concerns and preliminary evidence of efficacy in humans were found2.
Two related articles in preparation are about to be submitted to the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine. SpinalonTM may thus become the first non-invasive therapy both simple and easy to use as well as affordable to get, estimated to be sold at about $10 dollars CAD per pill. This worldwide ground-breaking discovery enables preparation of the next step - even larger-scale studies (1000 patients) to seek approval for sales within 5 years in Canada, Europe and United States.
About SpinalonTM
Discovered at Université Laval and CHU de Québec in 2004 by Dr. Pierre Guertin (full professor, Faculty of Medicine), this drug constitutes a novel class of treatment acting as a potent activator of the spinal locomotor network. It is made of already known and regulatory approved molecules normally used by patients with Parkinson's disease or anxiety, aimed in this case to prevent or reduce secondary complications and comorbid problems associated with chronic paralysis through regularly-induced treadmill training.
About Spinal Cord Injury
Based on recent estimates, 1.3 million patients are currently living with a traumatic spinal cord injury in North America (approximately 20-25 million worldwide). It is the second most common neurological problem after Alzheimer's disease. No cure or specific treatment has been approved yet.