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Vistagen Announces Publication in Cells Demonstrating AV-101’s Potential for Treating Levodopa-Induced Dyskinesia in Patients with Parkinson's Disease
Preclinical data in "gold standard" MPTP non-human primate model of Parkinson's disease show significant reduction of levodopa-induced dyskinesia by AV-101,
About this update from Vistagen Therapeutics, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"\nPreclinical data in \"gold standard\" MPTP non-human primate model of Parkinson's disease show significant reduction of levodopa-induced dyskinesia by AV-101, while maintaining antiparkinsonian activity of levodopa\n\n SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--\nVistagen (NASDAQ: VTGN) a late clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company aiming to transform the treatment landscape for individuals living with anxiety, depression and other central nervous system (CNS) disorders, today announced the publication of positive results from a preclinical study of the effects of AV-101, its oral NMDA receptor glycine site antagonist, in a widely used MPTP non-human primate model for reproducing motor complications of Parkinson's disease (PD), including dyskinesia (sudden uncontrolled movements) observed in PD patients treated with levodopa (L-Dopa). Findings from the preclinical study were published in the international, peer-reviewed journal, Cells. In the preclinical study, AV-101 reduced L-Dopa-induced dyskinesias (LID) by about 25% while maintaining the antiparkinsonian response to L-Dopa.\n\n“While L-Dopa remains the most effective pharmacotherapy for Parkinson’s disease, the occurrence of LID is difficult to manage and drastically interferes with Parkinson’s patients’ quality of life. This preclinical study showed that AV-101 reduced LID with no adverse effects of treatment,” stated Shawn Singh, Chief Executive Officer of Vistagen. “Dr. Di Paolo has been at the forefront of research in neuropharmacology and treatments for Parkinson’s disease for decades. Her preclinical data from this study are compelling and highlight AV-101’s potential to improve the treatment paradigm for LID associated with Parkinson’s therapy by reducing LID while still maintaining the antiparkinsonian activity of L-Dopa.”\n\nThe MPTP primate model used in this study is the \"gold standard\" for animal modeling of PD and has been used extensively to study both antiparkinsonian therapies and LID. MPTP is a neurotoxin that kills dopaminergic neurons in the striatum, producing motor symptoms similar to those of PD. In this study, AV-101's efficacy against LID was measured through behavioral scores on a dyskinesia scale, and a Parkinsonian disability scale was used to measure levodopa antiparkinsonian efficacy. This study demonstrated that AV-101 significantly (p...