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Avineuro Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
A Global Neuroscience Research And Development Company Developing novel small molecules to treat unmet medical needs in the neurological and psychiatric fields.
NewCo News: With Programs and Cash, Avineuro Goes Shopping.
San Diego, CA –By Catherine Hollingsworth,
Staff Writer
Since its founding less than a year ago, San-Diego-based Avineuro Pharmaceuticals Inc. has moved quickly to advance two major programs into the clinic.
The privately owned company, which is focused on neurology and psychiatry, announced Tuesday it has initiated Phase I studies of a potential treatment for schizophrenia (AVN-211) and is about to move its molecule for Alzheimer’s disease (AVN-101) into the clinic as early as next week.
Avineuro licensed its two main compounds from ChemDiv Inc., a San Diego-based contract research organization. Founded in August 2008, Avineuro has enough cash to take both programs through Phase I, and possibly could take its schizophrenia drug candidate even further, through Phase II, CEO Yan Lavrovsky told BioWorld Today.
The schizophrenia studies would be less costly than trials in Alzheimer’s disease, he said.
Lavrovsky is presenting the company’s Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia data this week at the International Alzheimer’s Conference/Parkinson’s Conference in Prague, Czech Republic. While in Europe, he said he plans to meet with representatives from several pharmaceutical companies about potential partnerships.
The results of Avineuro’s Phase I studies in schizophrenia are expected to be available in April. Based on these and other results, Avineuro plans to advance AVN-211 into Phase II trials in the second quarter.
Both the schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s molecules are selective 5-HT6 receptor antagonists and are designed to be highly selective, best-in-class products, Lavrovsky said.
Avineuro’s molecule could address some of the problems seen with Medivation Inc’s Dimebon, Lavrovsky said.
Calling it “Dimebon-like,” he indicated that Avineuro’s molecule may have a more favorable pharmacokinetic profile than late-stage Dimebon.
San Francisco-based Medivation is enrolling patients in a second Phase III trial of Dimebon for Alzheimer’s disease, and is planning another Phase II efficacy study in Huntington’s disease.
Avineuro operates in “a virtual mode,” outsourcing its discovery, development and clinical activities. Its drug candidates were identified through the screening of ChemDiv’s proprietary chemical library against a panel of G protein-coupled receptors implicated in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease. ChemDiv also provided preclinical development services to nominate additional backup leads and candidates for Avineuro.
The company’s other partners have included the National Center of Mental Health at the Russian Academy of Medical Science to develop proof-of-concept product candidates for treatment of anxiety, schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Lavrovksy, a physician, also serves as vice president of drug development at ChemDiv. The founder of ChemDiv, Alexander Ivachtchenko, is chief scientific officer and director of the board at Avineuro.
Other members of Avineuro’s team include three scientific advisers, a senior director of discovery biology, a senior director of medicinal chemistry and a pharmaceutical research and development consultant.
BioWorld Today March 11, 2009.
About Avineuro Pharmaceuticals, Inc.:
Avineuro discovers and develops novel small molecules for unmet medical needs in neurology and psychiatry. Avineuro emphasizes a rational approach to drug discovery that combines modern medicinal chemistry with streamlined pre-clinical and clinical development studies, thus allowing a fast transition to proof-of-concept product candidates.
Contact:
Yan Lavrovsky, CEO
Avineuro Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
6605 Nancy Ridge Drive, Suite 126
San Diego, CA 92121
Tel 858-436-1537 / 858-436-1540
Fax 858-228-9798
Email: YLavrovsky@avineuro.com
