NeuroSearch's MermaiHD study supports potential Huntington's disease modifying properties of Huntexil

NeuroSearch (NEUR) today announced that further analysis of the data from the MermaiHD study with Huntexil(R) (pridopidine) for the treatment of Huntington's disease supports potential disease modifying properties of the drug.

Top line results from the MermaiHD study, a six months European Phase III study in 437 patients with Huntington's disease, was announced and presented in the beginning of February, showing that treatment with Huntexil(R) significantly improves patients' motor function with effects seen on both the voluntary and involuntary motor symptoms associated with the disease.

Additional analysis of results from the study shows that Huntexil(R) not only has symptomatic effect, but also appears to slow the underlying disease progression depending on the patients' disease-genotype. In line with recently published academic findings (Aziz et al., 2009, Ravina et al., 2008), data from the placebo treated patient group in the MermaiHD study confirm a strong correlation between the length of the Huntington's disease gene and the rate of symptoms progression. The more CAG repeats there are in the gene, the faster is the progression of clinical symptoms. In the Huntexil(R) treated patients the CAG dependent rate of motor symptoms progression as observed in the placebo group, was not apparent, lending support to the drug's ability to potentially modify the underlying disease progression.

Following these important additional findings, NeuroSearch has filed a patent application covering the ability of Huntexil(R) to slow down the progression of disease in symptomatic Huntington patients as well as prevent the occurrence of symptoms in pre-manifest subjects. The patent application describes the discovery that Huntexil(R), in addition to its ability to reduce symptoms as previously shown, demonstrates disease modifying properties. The patent application also covers other proprietary compounds in NeuroSearch's portfolio of dopaminergic stabilizers.

Professor Justo Garcia de Yebenez, Hospital Ramon y Cajal, Madrid, Spain and primary investigator in the MermaiHD study, commented;

"The new findings from the MermaiHD study pointing towards a potential disease modifying impact from treatment with Huntexil(R) are very important. Apart from offering an improvement of symptoms associated with the disease, ability to slow the underlying disease progression would be a tremendous step forward in the treatment of Huntington patients, potentially starting already at the pre-symptomatic stage. I am looking forward to working together with NeuroSearch to further investigate the full potential of Huntexil(R)."

NeuroSearch continues the dedicated work to further analyse the data from the MermaiHD study and from other clinical studies once data are available and with the aim of exploring the properties of Huntexil(R) both as an effective and safe treatment of some of the most burdensome symptoms of Huntington's disease and as a potential means of slowing down the natural disease progression.