- atai’s development candidates, such as RL-007 and GRX-917, all represent significant opportunities to address unmet medical needs of patients living with mental health conditions
- Continued operational progress on robust clinical pipeline, with multiple phase 1 and phase 2 proof-of-concept datasets expected in the next two years
- $273 million in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments at end of 2022 and access to a term loan facility of up to an additional $160 million provide anticipated runway into the first half of 2026
NEW YORK and BERLIN, March 24, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- atai Life Sciences (NASDAQ: ATAI) (“atai”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company aiming to transform the treatment of mental health disorders, reported fourth quarter and full year 2022 financial results and provided clinical pipeline highlights.
“With multiple clinical-stage programs aimed at addressing significant unmet patient needs in mental health and the capital to fund us into the first half of 2026, we believe we are in a strong position to advance our clinical candidates towards proof of concept in patients,” said Florian Brand, CEO and Co-Founder of atai. “Recently we announced dosing the first patient in our Phase 2 study of RL-007 in CIAS and the modification of the GRX-917 clinical development plan to advance directly into a proof-of-concept study in patients with anxiety.”
Clinical Pipeline Highlights
RL-007 (Pro-Cognitive Neuromodulator for Cognitive Impairment Associated with Schizophrenia (CIAS))
- The first patient was recently dosed in the phase 2b study of RL-007 in patients with CIAS and topline results from this study are expected in the 2nd half of 2024.
- The phase 2b US-based study is a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, 3-arm study evaluating 20mg and 40mg of RL-007 vs placebo in approximately 230 patients with CIAS. The primary endpoint of the study is the change from baseline in the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB) neurocognitive composite score, a well-established regulatory endpoint, at week 6.
- RL-007 is an orally available compound that modulates cholinergic, glutamatergic and GABA-B receptors, thereby putatively altering the excitatory/inhibitory balance in the brain to produce pro-cognitive effects. It has previously been evaluated in 10 clinical studies with over 500 unique participants dosed to-date and in which it was well tolerated at all doses tested.
- Notably, in four clinical studies that assessed cognition, including one in patients with CIAS, the compound consistently demonstrated pro-cognitive effects. In atai’s previous Phase 2a proof-of-mechanism study in CIAS of RL-007, the compound showed a large effect size on Symbol Coding, a sub-component of the MCCB that correlates with the overall composite.
GRX-917 (Deuterated Etifoxine for Anxiety Disorders)
- The clinical development plan was modified to proceed with a phase 2 study in patients, which is intended to generate the robust clinical data needed to best inform a future registrational program. More details of the phase 2 clinical development plan will be provided upon initiation of the study.
- In January 2022, positive results were announced from the phase 1 single and multiple ascending dose study of GRX-917. In this study, GRX-917 was well-tolerated. Additionally, GRX-917 had an improved pharmacokinetic profile relative to etifoxine and provided pharmacodynamic evidence of GABA receptor target engagement through qEEG.
- GRX-917 is a deuterated version of etifoxine, a drug used for anxiety and first approved in France in 1979. Etifoxine has a rapid onset and efficacy comparable to benzodiazepines, which are currently considered standard of care. In contrast to benzodiazepines, etifoxine appears to be non-addictive, less sedating, and better tolerated. It is believed that etifoxine achieves its anxiolytic activity by increasing the endogenous production of brain neurosteroids like allopregnanolone.
COMP360 (Psilocybin Therapy for Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD))
- COMPASS Pathways (“COMPASS”) recently announced an acceleration of the Pivotal Trial 1 (COMP 005) part of the phase 3 program in TRD, with top line data from Pivotal Trial 1 now expected in the summer 2024.
- The on-going phase 3 program is composed of two pivotal trials, each of which will have a long-term follow-up component. The primary endpoint in both pivotal trials is the change from baseline in MADRS total score at week 6.
- COMP360 is a proprietary formulation of synthetic psilocybin that is administered in conjunction with psychological support. Previously, COMPASS completed a phase 2b study with top line data showing a statistically significant (p