NEWS: AVXL positive pre-clinical results in autism

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AVXL...today announced positive data of ANAVEX 2-73 in an exploratory study in a Fragile X syndrome model presented at the Gordon Research Conference for Fragile X and Autism-Related Disorders, being held June 5-10, 2016 in Mount Snow, VT.
Fragile X syndrome is the most common form of inherited intellectual disability and the most frequent single gene cause of autism.
"The ANAVEX 2-73 data in an array of behavioral paradigms in a validated mouse model of Fragile X is very encouraging. The results are promising for both Fragile X syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorders, since there is an overlap in the clinical as well as in the underlying molecular pathology of the two disorders. We would be very interested in continuing the work with ANAVEX 2-73," said Michael Tranfaglia, MD, Medical Director, Chief Scientific Officer of FRAXA Research Foundation.

Dosing of ANAVEX 2-73 for 14 days in a Fragile X syndrome mouse model was followed by a battery of behavioral tests that are linked to pathophysiological signs of Autism-related disorders and Fragile X syndrome: hyper-locomotion, associative learning, and marble burying. Treatment with ANAVEX 2-73 significantly improved all behaviors tested. ANAVEX 2-73 significantly reversed the hyperactivity and impairment in learning and memory (pless-than or equal to 0.0001), to the same levels observed in vehicle-treated wild-type mice. ANAVEX 2-73 also yielded a partial effect in the marble burying experiment (pless-than or equal to 0.05). The study was sponsored by FRAXA, via the FRAXA Drug Validation Initiative, and performed by Fraunhofer Chile Research, Santiago, Chile.

"Our previous results in Rett syndrome, together with the new data in another neurodevelopmental disorder, Fragile X, support our hypothesis that ANAVEX 2-73 has a mechanism of action that could be of interest to investigate clinically in rare disorders like Rett syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, and other Autism Spectrum Disorders, in addition to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease," said Christopher U. Missling, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Anavex.

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