Alzheimer’s disease drug developer Actinogen Medical (ASX:ACW) is on a path to the second critical phase of its clinical trial with its promising new treatment for patients with alzheimer's dementia.
Its novel drug compound Xanamen targets the enzyme 11beta-HSD1 blocking production of excess cortisol and negative effects of elevated levels.
The trial which is being conducted in Perth saw Xanamen effectively delivered by oral administration to the brain in doses that are predicted to inhibit the 11beta-HSD1 enzyme in the brain in patients.
Cortisol is known as the “stress hormone”, and excess cortisol in the brain is associated with memory loss, amyloid plaquing and neural death, the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease.
With the results, Actinogen Medical will move to a Phase II trial to demonstrate the effectiveness of Xanamem in treating patients suffering from mild Alzheimer’s disease.
The second phase of the trial will treat around 200 patients in Australia, the UK and the USA, under a U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved Investigational New Drug (IND).
The prize for a successful drug is significant with a multi-billion dollar market potential. The cost of alzheimer’s treatment in the US alone was estimated to be US$250 billion in 2013, with this cost estimated to increase to US$1 trillion by 2050.
Alzheimer’s disease is now the second leading cause of death in Australia.
Actinogen is fully funded for its pivotal Phase II clinical trial.
Positive results from this Phase II trial could see a significant partnering potential given the interest in alzheimers from pharmaceutical companies.
In late September, 24 million shares were traded in the company in one day.
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