Anavex Life Sciences has announced positive topline data from the ATTENTION-AD trial, showcasing the potential of oral blarcamesine in treating early Alzheimer's disease. Patients treated with blarcamesine demonstrated improved cognition and function over three years. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has accepted the Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) for blarcamesine for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
Long-Term Efficacy and Safety of Blarcamesine
The topline data from the ATTENTION-AD open-label extension trial revealed that continuous treatment with oral blarcamesine significantly benefited patients with early Alzheimer's disease over a period of three years. A delayed-start analysis indicated the importance of early treatment initiation. Blarcamesine also exhibited a favorable safety profile, with no treatment-related deaths reported.
Mechanism of Action and Clinical Data
Blarcamesine is a potential novel oral treatment that targets upstream Alzheimer's disease pathology through autophagy enhancement. Impairment of autophagy precedes both amyloid beta and tau tangles, anticipating the neurodegenerative process in Alzheimer's disease. Data from the Phase IIb/III trial ANAVEX2-73-AD-004 showed that once-daily oral administration of blarcamesine meaningfully slowed clinical decline in early Alzheimer's disease patients, with a favorable safety profile and no associated neuroimaging adverse events.
The MAA submission is primarily supported by data from the phase IIb/III study in which blarcamesine showed significant clinical improvement over 48 weeks, with a more than 2-point increase in the ADAS-Cog13 score, the primary endpoint. This indicates greater efficacy compared to approved therapies while also slowing neurodegeneration in early AD patients. Its safety profile eliminates the need for routine MRI monitoring, and its oral administration, combined with its benefits on cognition and neurodegeneration, makes it a convenient and appealing treatment option. The MAA also includes additional safety and efficacy data from the 144-week open-label-extension study of the candidate for AD.
Market Opportunity and Further Development
Anavex believes that the EU presents a strong market for AD treatment, with approximately seven million AD patients – a figure projected to double by 2030, per the European Brain Council. The company is also currently evaluating blarcamesine for a variety of other CNS indications, including Parkinson’s disease and Rett syndrome.
Anavex Life Sciences is also conducting a Phase 2 study of ANAVEX3-71 for the treatment of Schizophrenia. Preliminary biomarker results from Part A of the placebo-controlled Phase 2 study has been completed. ANAVEX3-71 demonstrates a dose-dependent pharmacodynamic effect on objective EEG biomarkers of schizophrenia. Patients are currently being dosed in Part B of the Phase 2 study which will investigate a longer treatment duration.
