NetworkNewsWire Editorial Coverage: Alzheimer’s disease is a
devastating brain disorder that now affects about 5.3 million
Americans, accounting for one in nine people over the age of 65,
according to the Alzheimer’s Association. One in three seniors die
with the disease or another form of dementia, and, while treatments
to slow or stop the disease’s progression have been lacking,
several pharmaceutical companies are working to change that.
India Globalization Capital, Inc. (NYSE: IGC)
(IGC
Profile), which has products that are
backed by data of cannabis-based combination therapies to treat
Alzheimer’s, pain, seizures and a host of neurological and
oncological issues, is lined up with Biogen, Inc. (NASDAQ:
BIIB), Anavex Life Sciences Corp. (NASDAQ: AVXL),
Axovant Sciences Ltd. (NASDAQ: AXON) and AC Immune
SA (NASDAQ: ACIU) to develop medications
they hope will yield promising results in treating a difficult and
hard to treat illness.
The cost to the U.S economy from Alzheimer’s disease is
estimated at $236 billion, including the
costs of caring for individuals with the illness. Without effective
treatments, the economic impact will continue to climb.
While industry behemoths like Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) and Novartis
(NYSE: NVS) are obvious contenders, India
Globalization Capital (IGC) is the first cannabis
pharmaceutical company to focus on Alzheimer’s disease. While there
are more than a dozen publicly traded cannabis pharmaceutical
stocks on the market, most of them with market caps much larger
than IGC’s $12 million, IGC is so far the only one to apply its
cannabis-therapies to the treatment of Alzheimer’s.
IGC is aggressively advancing its unique position, and earlier
this week announced (http://nnw.fm/3QaWV) that it has acquired the
exclusive rights to a THC-based treatment for Alzheimer’s, moving
the company one step closer to clinical trials for its Alzheimer’s
product.
Under a definitive license agreement with the University of
South Florida, IGC is the exclusive licensee of a patent filing for
the use of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) as a potential therapeutic
agent for the disease. The patent, entitled “THC as a Potential
Therapeutic Agent for Alzheimer’s Disease,” claims discovery of a
new pathway in which low doses of THC bind to amyloid beta plaques
and prevent those plaques from aggregating on neurons, which is
what occurs in Alzheimer’s disease and causes cognitive
decline.
Here’s why the application of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which
is the psychoactive compound found in cannabis, is so exciting for
the future of Alzheimer’s treatment. THC has several known
molecular pathways by which it interacts with the body. Numerous
studies have shown that low doses of THC can slow the production of
neural plaques (considered a key contributor to the progression of
Alzheimer’s), as well as decrease inflammation, prevent cell death
and stimulate cell growth.
The acquisition of IGC’s new patent filing provides another
layer of protection for the company’s proprietary formulation of
IGC-AD1, which includes low-doses of THC and is intended to disrupt
the buildup of amyloid beta plaques and relieve some of the worst
symptoms of Alzheimer’s.
If the patent is granted, and it works, IGC will become the
owner of a major therapeutic pathway for THC interaction with the
body, with significant potential in treating this condition.
“Securing this licensing agreement from the University of South
Florida represents a major turning point for IGC as we now look to
prepare several of our key products for clinical trials,” IGC CEO
Ram Mukunda stated in the press release. “We have worked hard to
assemble a strong development team and a primary pipeline of four
major products addressing large markets and possible blockbuster
indications utilizing cannabis-based therapies. We are putting the
finishing touches on our products, which may include filing
additional patents, and we very much expect to start pursuing
clinical trials for our Alzheimer’s product and others this
year.”
IGC’s drug development pipeline also includes cannabinoid
therapy that targets human and veterinary epilepsy (http://nnw.fm/eW8gb). The company is developing
numerous cannabis-based therapies, with a potential international
market reach.
There are some other companies working on Alzheimer's with very
large valuations, with IGC bringing
the potential benefits of cannabis to bear on the disease.
Biogen (BIIB) has developed and tested
aducanumab, a drug that helps eliminate beta amyloid, a sticky
plaque found in the brain of Alzheimer’s patients. The antibody
binds to the plaque, which has the potential to slow the
progression of symptoms such as memory loss, confusion, trouble
finding words, decreases in judgement, and changes in mood and
personality. Phase 1 clinical trials included 165 patients,
concluding that high doses of the drug decreased the level of
amyloid plaque in the brain, as viewed using positron emission
tomography. Scientists noted the slowing of the progression of
memory loss in these patients as well.
Another company focused on the development of innovative
therapies for Alzheimer’s, other central nervous system diseases
(CNS) and various types of cancer, is New York-based Anavex
Life Sciences (AVXL). The company’s lead
product candidate, ANAVEX™ 2-73, is an oral drug currently in phase
2a clinical trials for Alzheimer’s, and is also being tested to
Parkinson’s and other CNS diseases. Phase 1 trials for ANAVEX™ 2-73
were completed with encouraging results attesting to the compound’s
potential to halt or even reverse the course of Alzheimer’s, as
well as with an indication of other anticonvulsant, neuroprotective
and antidepressant properties. A phase 2 placebo-controlled trial
is also underway to determine ANAVEX™2-73 effects on Rett Syndrome,
while a separate trial is being conducted for Parkinson’s disease.
In addition to ANAVEX™2-73, the company is developing several other
products targeting various symptoms and effects of Alzheimer’s.
Clinical studies are also underway for Axovant Sciences’
(AXON) lead product candidate, Intepirdine (RVT-101), and
its effects on Alzheimer’s, dementia and Lewy Body Dementia. The
Mindset study for Alzheimer’s is a phase 3 international,
double-blind, multi-center, placebo-controlled clinical trial that
aims to assess the tolerability, safety and efficacy of the drug
for mild and moderate cases of Alzheimer’s. If the trials are
successful, the therapy will be approved for commercialization
across Europe and the United States. Phase 2 studies are being
conducted to evaluate the product’s performance for dementia. A
novel glycopyrrolate and cholinesterase combination is also being
developed for Alzheimer’s and Lewy Body Dementia and is currently
in phase 1 trials.
One of the world’s largest Alzheimer’s treatment pipelines is
being developed by Swiss-based AC Immune SA
(ACIU). The company is working on seven therapeutic and
three diagnostic products in various stages of clinical trials,
with the potential to significantly improve treatment and even
prevent Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. All of AC
Immune’s therapies were discovered and developed via the company’s
proprietary Morphomer™ and SupraAntigen™ technology platforms. The
lead product candidate, an anti-Abeta antibody called Crenezumab
with treatment and prevention potential, is currently undergoing
phase 3 clinical trials, in collaboration with Roche Holding AG
(OTC: RHHBY) subsidiary, Genentech.
The focus on Alzheimer’s of so many biopharmaceutical companies
is understandable, given the prevalence of this condition. In May
2017, Congress signed into law a $400 million increase for
Alzheimer’s research funding at the National Institutes of Health
(NIH) in the fiscal year 2017 budget, marking the second
consecutive year that Congress has approved a “historic” funding
increase for the disease.
This move demonstrates the urgency for the more than 5 million
Americans living with the disease – a number that’s forecast to
increase to 16 million by 2050 – and highlights the value of the
lineup of companies working to advance their efforts for a
cure.
For more information on India Globalization Capital visit
India
Globalization Capital (IGC)
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