Blarcamesine Deemed Safe and Effective in Parkinson Disease Dementia Study: Anavex Life Sciences Reports Promising Results
Anavex Life Sciences, a leading biopharmaceutical company, has recently announced positive findings
from their phase 2 study of blarcamesine, also known as ANAVEX2-73, in patients
with Parkinson disease dementia (PDD). The study, ANAVEX2-73-PDD-EP-001,
included a 48-week, open-label extension phase, and the results have shown that
blarcamesine met its primary and secondary objectives in improving PDD symptoms.
Despite a delay in the study due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the patients who chose to continue the
treatment during the extension phase demonstrated significant and consistent
improvements in their PDD symptoms. The primary endpoints of the study, including
the Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale
(MDS-UPDRS) Parts II and III, as well as the Clinical Global
Impression-Improvement (CGI-I), showed consistent improvement throughout the 48 weeks of treatment.
Dr. Christopher U. Missling, the President and CEO of Anavex Life Sciences, expressed his
enthusiasm for the results, stating, “It is encouraging that the patients’
clinical symptoms consistently improved longitudinally over time during the
extension phase under active ANAVEX2-73 treatment.” The data suggests that
blarcamesine has the potential to not only slow down the progression of PDD
symptoms but also potentially reverse them, addressing an urgent unmet need in
the global Parkinson’s disease community.
In addition to the clinical improvements observed, Anavex
highlighted the positive effect of blarcamesine on sleep. The drug did not impair
sleep and even showed a positive impact on REM sleep behavior disorder.
While the study results are promising, it is important to interpret them with caution due to
the small sample size. Nevertheless, the positive outcomes support further
investigation of blarcamesine as a potential treatment for Parkinson disease dementia.
These findings build upon previous research that demonstrated blarcamesine’s impact on
increasing sigma-1 receptor (SIGMAR1) mRNA expression. This increase correlated
with the observed improvements in cognitive function and motor symptoms, as
measured by the Cognitive Drug Research system and the MDS-UPDRS scores, respectively.
Looking ahead, Anavex Life Sciences plans to conduct a 6-month study focused specifically on Parkinson’s disease.
The primary and secondary endpoints of this upcoming study are expected to
include the MDS-UPDRS II + III and CGI-I, which have shown positive results in the current phase 2 trial.
In conclusion, the phase 2 extension study of blarcamesine in Parkinson disease dementia has
yielded promising results, demonstrating the drug’s safety and efficacy in
improving PDD symptoms. These findings provide hope for the Parkinson’s disease
community and support further research into the potential of blarcamesine as a
treatment option. Anavex Life Sciences continues to pave the way in developing
innovative therapies for neurological disorders, offering new possibilities for
patients and their families. Read this article for more information.
More about Anavex on https://www.globaldata.com/company-profile/anavex-life-sciences-corp/
