NGX267, a selective cholinergic muscarinic, or M1, receptor agonist, has demonstrated potential in providing both symptomatic improvement and disease modification in animal models of Alzheimer’s disease.
This second phase I study was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, single ascending dose study that evaluated the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of NGX267 in healthy males and females between the ages of 65 and 80, reflecting the age of the primary Alzheimer’s disease population.
Clinical data showed that NGX267 was well tolerated at single doses up to and including 15mg and that evidence of cholinergic activation was detected at these doses.
In a previous phase I study, NGX267, administered as single doses, was shown to be well-tolerated in healthy, younger adult males.
“These favorable safety data in a population at highest risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease support development of NGX267 as a potential therapy for Alzheimer’s disease,” said Dr Neil Kurtz, president and CEO of TorreyPines. “This compound may potentially provide patients and caregivers with a meaningful advance in the treatment of this disease by addressing both the symptoms and the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.”