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Incannex Update on IHL-42X Drug Candidate in Phase 2/3 Clinical Trial in Obstructive Sleep Apnea
MELBOURNE, Australia and NEW YORK, Dec. 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Incannex Healthcare Inc. (Nasdaq: IXHL), (‘Incannex’ or the ‘Company’), a pharmaceutical
About this update from Incannex Healthcare Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"MELBOURNE, Australia and NEW YORK, Dec. 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Incannex Healthcare Inc. (Nasdaq: IXHL), (‘Incannex’ or the ‘Company’), a pharmaceutical company developing unique medicinal cannabinoid pharmacotherapies and psychedelic medicine therapies for unmet medical needs, is pleased to provide the following update on its proprietary IHL-42X drug candidate. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterised by a narrowing or obstruction of the upper airway during sleep, which interrupts breathing resulting in decreased oxygen uptake and poor sleep quality. This relatively common and chronic disorder is largely undiagnosed and untreated yet can result in a wide range of serious long-term outcomes, including cardiovascular disease (1), cognitive impairments such as memory loss, poor concentration, and judgment (2), depression (3) and death or injury due to traffic accidents resulting from excessive daytime sleepiness (4). The costs associated with OSA are substantial, relating to lost productivity, and workplace and motor vehicle accidents (5). A literature-based analysis of 17 studies across 16 countries estimated that OSA affects some 936 million adults aged 30-69 worldwide, with 425 million having moderate to severe disease (6, 7). There are no approved pharmacotherapies for treatment of OSA. The best treatment option currently available is positive airway pressure (PAP) which pneumatically splints the airway open to prevent disruptions in breathing. However, PAP devices are not well tolerated by many patients due to discomfort, claustrophobia and the noise of the machine. Incannex has designed IHL-42X, a combination of dronabinol (synthetic THC) and acetazolamide, for treatment of OSA. Both dronabinol and acetazolamide are clinically proven to reduce apnea hypopnea index (AHI), the measure used for diagnosis and monitoring of OSA (8, 9). However, both drugs have limited efficacy, as well as unwanted side effects at efficacious doses. Dronabinol and acetazolamide affect OSA through different pathways. Binding of dronabinol to cannabinoid receptors, modulates signalling and activates muscles that dilate the airway, preventing collapse and obstruction, whereas acetazolamide induces metabolic acidosis which signals to the body that there is excess CO2 in the blood, inducing the taking of a breath (9, 10). IHL-42X is designed...