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Vistagen Receives New European Patent for AV-101
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Vistagen (NASDAQ: VTGN) a late clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company aiming to transform the treatment
About this update from Vistagen Therapeutics, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":" 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 that the European Patent Office (EPO) has granted the Company a patent for AV-101, its oral NMDAR (N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor) glycine site antagonist. The patent relates to the synthesis of AV-101 and certain chemical intermediaries, which synthesis yields AV-101 in commercial quantities and has the scalability for commercial manufacture. The new European patent is a counterpart to previously granted U.S. patent 11,427,530 and will be in effect until at least 2039. Based on observations and findings from preclinical animal models translatable to human conditions targeting the NMDAR, AV-101 has the potential to become a new oral treatment alternative for multiple CNS disorders involving the NMDAR, such as dyskinesia associated with levodopa therapy for Parkinson’s disease, major depressive disorder and neuropathic pain.\n\n\n“Expanding our patent portfolio for all of our product candidates is an ongoing priority to support our global development and commercialization strategies across our pipeline,” said Shawn Singh, Chief Executive Officer of Vistagen. “AV-101’s potential to inhibit the function of the NMDAR, without fully blocking it like other NMDAR antagonists such as ketamine, anchors our interest in developing it as an innovative therapy for millions of patients affected by CNS disorders involving the NMDAR. This new patent covering our improved and streamlined manufacturing process may result in advantages for getting AV-101 to patients, on our own or potentially with a partner.”\n\n\nAbout AV-101\n\n\nAV-101 (4-chlorokynurenine) is an oral prodrug of 7-chloro-kynurenic acid (7-Cl-KYNA), which is a potent and selective full antagonist of the glycine co-agonist site of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) that inhibits certain functions of the NMDAR. Unlike ketamine and many other NMDAR antagonists, 7-Cl-KYNA is not an ion channel blocker. Preclinical studies demonstrate that AV-101 activity appears to be specific to the GlycineB site, with virtually no off-target activity in a panel of more than 50 receptor targets, including dopamine and o...