Anavex Life Sciences has announced promising long-term data for its investigational
therapy, Anavex 2-73, in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease dementia. The
extension of a Phase 2 trial demonstrated that patients who received Anavex
2-73 experienced a reduction in the severity of their symptoms, contrasting
sharply with the symptom progression observed during a drug hiatus.
Anavex 2-73 is a small, orally available molecule that targets the SIGMAR1 receptor, which plays
a crucial role in regulating cellular processes related to neurodegeneration.
Activation of this receptor helps to maintain the health of brain cells, offering
a potential therapeutic pathway not only for Parkinson’s but also for other
neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease.
The Phase 2 trial, designated ANAVEX 2-73-PDD-001, involved 132 adults with Parkinson’s disease
dementia and lasted around 3.5 months. Patients treated with Anavex 2-73 showed
notable improvements in memory and cognitive skills. Additionally, their motor
and non-motor symptoms, assessed using the Movement Disorder Society-Unified
Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS), also improved substantially.
The subsequent open-label extension study, ANAVEX 2-73-PDD-EP-001, involved a treatment period
of 48 weeks. This study was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in
a significant gap between the initial trial and the extension. During this gap,
patients’ symptoms worsened, highlighting the potential efficacy of Anavex 2-73
when reintroduced. Patients who resumed Anavex 2-73 treatment showed
improvements in MDS-UPDRS scores, cognitive health, and the severity of REM sleep behavior disorder.
Christopher Missling, PhD, President and CEO of Anavex, emphasized the encouraging nature of these findings, noting the potential for
Anavex 2-73 to address an urgent, unmet need in Parkinson’s disease treatment.
The therapy was also found to be safe and well-tolerated over long-term use.
Anavex Life Sciences plans to initiate a Phase 3 trial to further assess the efficacy of
Anavex 2-73. If the results are favorable, the data will be used to support
regulatory applications for the therapy’s approval, offering new hope for
patients with Parkinson’s disease dementia. Refer to this article for additional information.
Learn more about Anavex on https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/AVXL