Anavex Life Sciences has announced that the anti-amnesic and neuroprotective effects of Anavex 1-41 are detailed in a paper published in the current edition of Neuropsychopharmacology.
Currently in the late pre-clinical stage, Anavex 1-41 is one of the company's lead compounds for Alzheimer's disease (AD).
Neuropsychopharmacology is an international scientific journal and the official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, which focuses on clinical and basic science contributions that advance our understanding of the brain and behaviour.
'The Anavex 1-41 results highlighted in this paper demonstrate the compound's efficacy, which can be attained at extremely low doses, giving us confidence in the likely clinical profile,' said Dr Vamvakides, chief scientific officer of Anavex.
'Furthermore, it highlights the potential for this compound as a therapeutic solution in the fight against Alzheimer's disease.' Anavex 1-41 may be able to reverse memory and learning deficits and protect nerve cells from death, which is very different from the symptom-alleviating therapies currently on the market.
A significant factor behind the efficacy of Anavex 1-41 is that it can attain synergistic activation of both muscarinic and sigma-1 receptors at extremely low doses in-vivo (0.1 mg/kg i.p.).
This is the first time these results have been achieved by any pharmacological agent in this non-transgenic Alzheimer's mouse model, which is created by injecting amyloid-beta (25-35) peptide into mouse brains to bring on histological and biochemical changes, oxidative stress and learning deficits.
The paper describes the exceptional neuroprotective and anti-amnesic benefits of Anavex 1-41.
Results achieved in pre-clinical studies to date suggest that Anavex 1-41 offers disease-modifying potential through its ability to reverse memory and learning deficits and protect nerve cells from death.
Importantly, pre-clinical results also underscore the compound's ability to prevent oxidative stress induced by Alzheimer's disease and block apoptosis of neuronal cells through the expression of the caspase-3 enzyme.
The company expects that pre-clinical trials on Anavex 1-41 will be complete in early 2009.
Anavex 1-41 and Anavex 2-73, which share a common chemical origin and similarities in their mechanism of action (congeners), are two compounds developed by Anavex to target Alzheimer's disease.
Both compounds show neuroprotective potential and synergistic effects on muscarinic and sigma-1 receptors at extremely low doses, potentially conveying attractive tolerability profiles in addition to their efficacy.
The article in Neuropsychopharmacology, entitled 'Antiamnesic and Neuroprotective Effects of the Aminotetrahydrofuran Derivative Anavex 1-41 Against Amyloid-beta (25-35)-Induced Toxicity in Mice', can be viewed on the publication's website.
