Actinogen (ASX:ACW) has received confirmation from an independent Dose Escalation Committee that its lead drug candidate, Xanamem, when dosed at 10mg, satisfies safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetic metrics.
This now allows for a dose escalation to 25mg for the next cohort of 8 participants.
Actinogen expects the next cohort to be dosed in late March. The clinical trial program continues to execute on time and on budget.
Xanamem is being developed as a new therapy for Alzheimer’s disease, a condition with a multi-billion dollar market potential.
The cost of Alzheimer’s treatment in the US alone was estimated to be US$250 billion last year by the American Alzheimer’s Association.
This cost is estimated to increase to US$1 trillion by 2050, outstripping the cost of treating all other diseases.
Xanamem’s novel mechanism of action sets it apart from existing Alzheimer’s treatments.
It works by blocking the production of the stress hormone cortisol in the hippocampus and frontal cortex, the areas of the brain most affected by Alzheimer’s disease.
There is growing evidence that chronic stress and elevated cortisol levels lead to changes in the brain affecting memory and to the development of amyloid plaques and neural death – the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease.
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