CytRx, a biopharmaceutical company, has reported that its molecular chaperone amplifying drug candidate iroxanadine has been shown to be effective in protecting against diabetic peripheral neuropathy in animals.
In the trial, 40 adult male rats were administered a single injection of the drug streptozotocin to induce experimental diabetes. Approximately 10 additional animals served as the non-diabetic control group. After confirmation of elevated blood glucose in the diabetic rats, one of three dosages of iroxanadine (10, 20 or 50mg/kg) or a vehicle control lacking iroxanadine was administered orally on a daily basis to these diabetic animals.
At various intervals, diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) was measured by tests, namely sensory nerve conduction velocity (SNCV), latency of compound muscle action potential (CMAP), and the number of intra-epidermal nerve fibers (IENF).
According to CytRx, animals treated with iroxanadine showed statistically significant improvement in DPN as assessed by SNCV and CMAP latency. Additionally, iroxanadine completely prevented the dramatic decrease in IENF seen in the diabetic control group not receiving iroxanadine. There was an equivalent level of neuroprotective activity regardless of the iroxanadine dose level, suggesting that the biological effect was maximal even at the lowest dose tested in this trial.
Further, during the duration of this trial, iroxanadine did not affect blood glucose levels compared to diabetic control animals not receiving iroxanadine. This means that iroxanadine improved DPN per se independent of the metabolic factors of the disease that lead to neuropathy in this animal model, the company said.
Steven Kriegsman, president and CEO of CytRx, said: This is another successful demonstration of the broad therapeutic potential of our chaperone amplifying drugs. DPN is an important therapeutic target in its own right, and the involvement of neuropathy in diabetic foot ulcers gives us additional confidence in the potential of iroxanadine for that indication. These data could make this program an even more attractive partnering opportunity.