Date: 2012-01-16
Type of information:
phase: preclinical
Announcement: results
Company: Phytopharm (UK)
Product: Cogane® (PYM50028)
Action
mechanism: Cogane® is a member of the sapogenin class of compounds. This orally bioavailable neurotrophic factor inducer readily crosses the blood-brain barrier. It has demonstrated neuroprotective effects in a range of preclinical models of neurodegenerative diseases. Specifically, it has been shown to induce and modulate the production of neurotrophic factors. The neuroprotective and neurotrophic actions of Cogane® suggest potential beneficial effects in a range of neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease and orphan diseases such as ALS.
Disease: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Therapeutic area: Neurodegenerative diseases
Country:
Trial
details: Phytopharm has announced preliminary data indicating that Cogane® has demonstrated efficacy in a genetic preclinical model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
The study was performed in a model that has a mutation in the SOD1 gene (SOD1G93A); mutation of the SOD1 gene is a known cause of ALS in humans. In this study Cogane® was administered orally for 50 days, commencing after ALS-type symptoms were manifest.
Administration of Cogane® resulted in a 30-50% improvement in muscle strength in one muscle type compared to both the untreated control group and a group treated with riluzole (currently the only product marketed for the treatment of ALS). Treatment with Cogane® also resulted in an increase in the number of motor units (a measure of functional motor neurones) compared with both the untreated and riluzole treated control groups. Treatment effects were less clear in a second muscle type which was more severely damaged in the model, though the group treated with Cogane® again showed an improvement in strength compared to the riluzole treated group.
These are preliminary, headline results and the full results from the study, including histopathology data, will be published in due course.
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