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Marvel Biosciences' Lead Drug Candidate MB-204 Successfully Targets Brain Receptor Important for Alzheimer's Disease and Depression
Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - November 7, 2022) - Marvel Biosciences Corp. (TSXV: MRVL)...
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[{"type":"text","content":"Marvel Biosciences' Lead Drug Candidate MB-204 Successfully Targets Brain Receptor Important for Alzheimer's Disease and DepressionCalgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - November 7, 2022) - Marvel Biosciences Corp. (TSXV: MRVL) and its wholly owned subsidiary, Marvel Biotechnology Inc. (collectively the \"Company\" or \"Marvel\"), announced today that in a pre-clinical mouse study conducted by the Company, its lead drug candidate MB-204 successfully entered the brain and occupied its target, the adenosine A2a receptor. The adenosine A2a receptor has been validated by numerous scientific studies that it plays a significant role in various pathologies such as Alzheimer's Disease and depression. \"We previously reported that MB-204 independently improved depression-like symptoms in mice,\" said Dr Mark Williams, Chief Science Officer of Marvel Biosciences. \"This study further validates this observation as we have confirmed in our study that MB-204 enters the brain and engages its target, the adenosine A2a receptor, and reduces depression. In fact, there was more occupation after four hours than one hour, which matched what we saw in the blood of animals after dosing. We believe this is vital as:it suggests MB-204 should be able to treat other diseases associated with the adenosine A2a receptor such as Alzheimer's disease, Fragile X syndrome and ADHD and; it will ultimately help to convince both physicians and potential future large pharmaceutical partners about the mechanism of action of our drug, making it a more attractive partnership candidate.\" MB-204 is a fluorinated derivative of the U.S. FDA approved adenosine A2a receptor antagonist, Istradefylline. Both Istradefylline and MB-204 are highly active derivatives of caffeine, the most widely consumed psychoactive drug in the world. Caffeine consumption has been associated with a reduced risk for developing Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and improving concentration.About Marvel Biosciences Corp.Marvel Biosciences Corp., and its wholly owned subsidiary, Marvel Biotechnology Inc., is a Calgary-based pre-clinical stage pharmaceutical development biotechnology company that utilizes a \"drug redevelopment\" approach to drug development. Historically, when a new class of drug is developed, it is optimized for a particular target, but typically only approved for a specific dis...