EVANSTON, Ill., Jan. 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aptinyx Inc. (Nasdaq: APTX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing transformative therapies for the treatment of brain and nervous system disorders, today announced a publication in Movement Disorders detailing data on its novel NMDAr modulator, NYX-458. The data demonstrate that administration of NYX-458 resulted in a reversal of cognitive deficits in a non-human primate model of Parkinson’s disease. The data were published in the January issue of Movement Disorders, the official journal of the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
“This publication in Movement Disorders highlights the strength of these data and underscores our commitment to advancing a novel therapeutic option in a field with substantial medical need,” said Norbert Riedel, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Aptinyx. “Cognitive impairment is increasingly recognized as a burdensome component of Parkinson’s and the few available therapies are inadequate. In a highly translatable model, these data indicate that the novel mechanism of NYX-458 can address aberrant glutamatergic signaling underlying cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease.”
In the published studies, NYX-458 exhibited rapid, robust, and enduring reversal of the cognitive deficits induced in the non-human primate model. The deficits induced in the model are analogous to the attention, working memory, and executive function impairments associated with dopamine loss in Parkinson’s disease and are the predominant cognitive symptoms experienced by Parkinson’s patients. The reversal of cognitive deficits—back to healthy baseline levels on some measures—facilitated by NYX-458 was observed as early as one-day following a single dose and lasted for at least three weeks. Additionally, the positive effects were recovered following re-impairment, maintained with repeat dosing, and endured for up to three months following the last of the repeated doses.
In a separate cohort of nun-human primates, NYX-458 did not worsen motor symptoms associated with dopamine loss, did not interfere with the anti-parkinsonian effects of levodopa, and did not worsen the side effects of levodopa.
The reversal of cognitive deficits in these translatable disease models suggests that NYX-458 has the potential to be a novel therapeutic option for patients suffering from cognitive impairment associated with Parkinson’s disease, and supports its continued development.
About NYX-458
NYX-458 is a novel oral NMDA receptor modulator currently in clinical development for the treatment of cognitive impairment associated with Parkinson’s disease. NYX-458 has been shown to reverse cognitive deficits in non-human primates in a model that is highly translatable to Parkinson’s disease in humans. NYX-458 has also been shown to improve cognitive performance across various other preclinical models of neurodegeneration. In a Phase 1 clinical study, NYX-458 exhibited a favorable safety and tolerability profile across a wide dose range and achieved CNS exposures consistent with exposures observed at efficacious preclinical dose levels.
About Aptinyx
Aptinyx Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of proprietary synthetic small molecules for the treatment of brain and nervous system disorders. Aptinyx has a platform for discovery of novel compounds that work through a unique mechanism to modulate—rather than block or over-activate—NMDA receptors and enhance synaptic plasticity, the foundation of neural cell communication. The company has three product candidates in clinical development in central nervous system indications, including chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, and cognitive impairment associated with Parkinson’s disease. Aptinyx is also advancing additional compounds from its proprietary discovery platform, which continues to generate a rich and diverse pipeline of small-molecule NMDA receptor modulators with the potential to treat an array of neurologic disorders. For more information, visit www.aptinyx.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the company’s business plans and objectives, including future plans or expectations for NYX-458, therapeutic effects of the company’s product candidates, expectations regarding the design, implementation, timing, and success of its current and planned clinical trials, expectations regarding its preclinical development activities, and expectations regarding its uses and sufficiency of capital. Risks that contribute to the uncertain nature of the forward-looking statements include: the success, cost, and timing of the company’s product candidate development activities and planned clinical studies; the company’s ability to execute on its strategy; regulatory developments in the United States and foreign countries; as well as those risks and uncertainties set forth in the company’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and in its other filings and reports with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made. Aptinyx undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.
Investor and Media Contact:
Nick Smith
Aptinyx Inc.
ir@aptinyx.com or corporate@aptinyx.com
847-871-0377
Source: Aptinyx Inc.