Berwyn, PA, July 24, 2012: QR Pharma, Inc. (QR), a clinical stage specialty pharmaceutical company committed to developing therapeutics with novel approaches for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD) and other neurodegenerative disorders, announced today that it initiated the first human clinical trial of the company’s compound bisnorcymserine (BNC) to evaluate safety and tolerability in a cohort of older healthy adults. The study will be conducted by the NIA/NIH clinical research group under an NIH Clinical Trial Agreement; it is led by Dr. Dimitrios Kapogiannis of the NIA Intramural Research Program.
BNC was discovered by Dr. Nigel Greig in his laboratory at the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. The compound selectively inhibits butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), an enzyme that degrades the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and predominates in the advanced AD brain. The investigators believe that BNC may improve upon the existing drugs on the market by working in later stage AD and prolong the span of efficacy. In preclinical studies BNC was found to be safe in animals, have a long half-life and increase cognition in elderly rodents.
About BNC:
Bisnorcymserine (BNC) is a small, orally active compound that selectively inhibits butyrylcholinesterase activity. Since BChE is elevated in the brain of advanced AD patients, BNC may be most efficacious in severe and advanced AD patients, where butyrylcholinesterase levels are abnormally. BNC has an active IND under which the company is pursuing Phase I clinical development in collaboration with the clinical branch of the NIA/NIH.
About QR Pharma, Inc.
Headquartered in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, QR Pharma, Inc. is a clinical-stage specialty pharmaceutical company committed to developing therapeutics with novel approaches for the treatment of cognitive impairment in neurological disorders. QR currently has three product development programs – Posiphen for early stage Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, and BNC for advanced Alzheimer’s disease. For more information on QR Pharma, please visit the company’s website, http://www.qrpharma.wbprg.pw.
Contact: Maria L. Maccecchini, CEO
Tel: 610 727 3710
maccecchini@qrpharma.com
http://qrpharma.wbprg.pw