IntelGenx Obtains Preliminary Efficacy Results for the ‘BUENA’ Montelukast VersaFilm® Phase 2a Clinical Trial in Patients with Mild to Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease
July 03 2024 - 8:00AM
IntelGenx Corp. (the “Company” or “IntelGenx” a subsidiary of
IntelGenx Technologies Corp.) (OTCQB: IGXT; TSX: IGX), has
successfully completed the BUENA Alzheimer’s disease (AD) study.
The BUENA study was designed as a Phase 2a proof of concept study
to investigate the extent to which different doses of Montelukast
(MTK) could improve cognition in adults with AD as well as to
provide information on the safety and tolerance of the buccal film
in this patient group. The BUENA study enrolled 59 adults with mild
to moderate severity AD, of which 52 completed 26 weeks treatment
with “standard of care” cholinesterase inhibitors and Montelukast
buccal film (10mg per day or 30mg twice daily) or cholinesterase
inhibitors and placebo. Cognition was assessed using a battery of
neuropsychological tests developed by Cogstate, a neuroscience
company focused on optimizing cognitive assessment in clinical
trials.
Although the final study report, which includes
the analysis of all safety and efficacy information, is planned for
completion and release at the beginning of third quarter 2024,
IntelGenx has obtained the outcome of a topline analysis of the
efficacy data from the BUENA study.
The summary study results indicated that when
considered across all doses of MTK, no benefit to general cognition
was observed when compared to change under placebo. However, when
the data from the neuropsychological tests was analysed separately
for each dose, adults with AD who received at least 80% of 30-mg
twice-daily doses of MTK showed a statistically significant
improvement in general cognition compared to placebo with the
benefit being d= 0.5 in magnitude.
“Given the relatively small sample size and the
mild to moderate clinical disease severity of the study sample,
interpretation of the results should be based on consideration of
the treatment effect observed on the composite neuropsychological
measure of cognition,” said Paul Maruff, PhD, Chief Innovation
Officer at Cogstate. “This preliminary analysis suggests that
treatment with MTK 30-mg twice-daily, based on the ‘per treatment’
analyses (treatment compliers), was associated with an
experimentally important benefit to cognition. Given this, further
study of this 30-mg MTK twice-daily dose with consistent treatment
will be of value.”
Prof. Ludwig Aigner (head of the Institute of
Molecular Regenerative Medicine at Paracelsus Medical University in
Salzburg, Austria) our key scientific drug development partner, has
over the years contributed to the IntelGenx’s MTK program, and
established and published preclinical evidence of the use of MTK in
neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases, including in AD
transgenic mice. Prof. Aigner was quite pleased that the BUENA
study has provided some first human evidence - although preliminary
- for the use of MTK buccal film as a treatment modality and option
for patients with mild to moderate AD, which seems to suggest that
neuroinflammation could play a role in the pathogenesis of AD and
potentially other neurodegenerative diseases.
GlobalData recently reported that the
AD market is expected to reach $13.7 billion in 2030 across the
eight major markets (U.S., France, Germany, Italy, Spain, U.K.,
Japan, and China), representing a compound annual growth rate of
20.0% from $2.2 billion in 2020. The expansion is primarily
attributed to the significant unmet needs posed by AD, combined
with the introduction of new therapies, including the recently
approved monoclonal antibody therapies.
About Montelukast
VersaFilm®
Montelukast is a leukotriene receptor antagonist
that was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1997
for the treatment of asthma and seasonal allergic rhinitis.
IntelGenx is working to repurpose Montelukast as a therapeutic to
treat neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases by
re-formulating the drug into an oral film-based product.
IntelGenx's proprietary VersaFilm® technology is especially
suited for special needs patient populations, and the Montelukast
VersaFilm® product offers many distinct advantages over
tablets for AD and Parkinson’s Disease patients, including the
avoidance and minimization of first-pass-effects, ease of
administration, improved API bioavailability, lower dosing and
toxicity, better acceptability and improved compliance.
About IntelGenx
IntelGenx is a leading drug delivery company
focused on the development and manufacturing of pharmaceutical
films. IntelGenx’s superior film technologies, including
VersaFilm®, DisinteQ™, VetaFilm® and transdermal VevaDerm™, allow
for next generation pharmaceutical products that address unmet
medical needs. IntelGenx’s innovative product pipeline offers
significant benefits to patients and physicians for many
therapeutic conditions. IntelGenx's highly skilled team provides
comprehensive pharmaceutical services to pharmaceutical partners,
including R&D, analytical method development, clinical
monitoring, IP and regulatory services. IntelGenx's
state-of-the-art manufacturing facility offers full service by
providing lab-scale to pilot- and commercial-scale production. For
more information, visit https://www.intelgenx.com/ and connect with
us on X and LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Information and Statements
This document may contain forward-looking information about
IntelGenx's operating results and business prospects that involve
substantial risks and uncertainties. Statements that are not purely
historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of
Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and
Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These
statements include, but are not limited to, statements about
IntelGenx's plans, objectives, expectations, strategies, intentions
or other characterizations of future events or circumstances and
are generally identified by the words "may," "expects,"
"anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks,"
"estimates," "could," "would," and similar expressions. All
forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their
entirety by this cautionary statement. Because these
forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and
uncertainties, IntelGenx's actual results could differ materially
from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking
statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such
differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed under
the heading "Risk Factors" in IntelGenx's annual report on Form
10-K, filed with the United States Securities and Exchange
Commission and available at www.sec.gov, and also filed with
Canadian securities regulatory authorities at www.sedarplus.ca.
IntelGenx assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking
statements.
Source: IntelGenx Technologies Corp.
For IntelGenx:
Andre Godin, CPA, CAPresident and CFOIntelGenx Corp.(514)
331-7440 ext 203andre@intelgenx.com
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