AstraZeneca to take Alzheimer’s drug into phase II
pharmafile | January 5, 2012 | News story | Research and Development | Alzheimer's, AstraZeneca, Targacept
AstraZeneca is to continue the development of Targacept’s AZD1446 as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.
AZD1446 is a selective modulator of the alpha4beta2 neuronal nicotinic receptor that arose out of a research collaboration conducted by Targacept and AstraZeneca. AstraZeneca is responsible for conducting and funding the development and potential commercialisation of AZD1446.
The next clinical trial of AZD1446 is expected to be a Phase II study as an adjunct treatment to donepezil in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease.
“AstraZeneca’s decision to invest further in the development of AZD1446 reflects well on the continued promise of the alpha4beta2 NNR mechanism in Alzheimer’s disease,” said J. Donald deBethizy, Ph.D., President and chief executive of Targacept.
“The planned evaluation of AZD1446 as an augmentation treatment in Alzheimer’s disease complements Targacept’s ongoing Phase IIb study of AZD3480 as a monotherapy as we and AstraZeneca strive to provide an effective treatment for this major unmet medical need.”
The companies are also collaborating on TC-5214 for depression, but recent results were not promising.
Top-line results were released in December from the second of four RENAISSANCE Phase III studies of TC-5214 as an adjunct therapy in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) who do not respond adequately to initial antidepressant treatment. The study, RENAISSANCE 2, did not meet its primary endpoint, change in the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) total score after eight weeks of adjunct treatment with TC-5214 as compared to placebo.
Andrew McConaghie
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