Anavex Initiates Regulatory Submission of Oral Blarcamesine for Alzheimer’s Disease to European Medicines Agency (EMA)

NEW YORK, Nov. 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Anavex Life Sciences Corp. (“Anavex” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: AVXL), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing differentiated therapeutics for the treatment of neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders announced today that representatives of Anavex met with team members of the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

These meetings discussed the debilitating pathology of Alzheimer’s disease and Anavex’s blarcamesine (ANAVEX^®2-73) Alzheimer’s disease clinical program results, including data obtained in the ANAVEX^®2-73-AD-004 study.

Pursuant to discussion at the meetings, Anavex initiated the process for submitting a Marketing Authorisation application to the EMA with the submission of the Centralised Procedure request with the goal of the Authorisation allowing direct access to the market of the European Union for oral blarcamesine for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

Anavex’s goal is to take care of patients in a patient-centric way with the preference for convenient oral treatment options for Alzheimer’s disease not requiring complex logistics resources and added personnel for drug administration and monitoring for brain edema and brain bleeds.

Severe symptoms in relation to Amyloid-Related Imaging Abnormalities (ARIA) is a known risk factor for Alzheimer’s patients taking the class of drugs called monoclonal antibodies, and requires constant and repeated MRI examination, for which not all regions in Europe are currently sufficiently prepared and equipped for in addition to the requirement to address affordability and inequalities in patient access within European Union countries.^1,2

“We look forward to working together with the team from EMA,” said David Goldberger, RPh, MLS, Senior Vice President Regulatory Affairs at Anavex. “We continue to work towards fulfilling our purpose of improving patients' lives with oral blarcamesine not requiring any complex additional procedures for the treatment of people with Alzheimer’s disease.”

There are an estimated 7 million people in Europe with Alzheimer’s disease, a number expected to double by 2030, according to the European Brain Council.³

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated the cost in Europe of caring for people with dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, at $439 billion, or $31,144 per person in 2019. That includes hospital care, medicines, diagnostics, informal caregiver time, community services and long-term care facility costs.^4,5

“There remains an urgent need for convenient once-daily oral treatment options for Alzheimer’s disease, and Anavex is moving forward to potentially addressing the preference for simple patient-centered administrations and shared decision-making,” said Christopher U Missling, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer at Anavex.

In addition to significant improvement in dementia symptoms, blarcamesine demonstrated reduction of pathological aggregation of amyloid in early Alzheimer’s disease as well reduction of brain volume loss, a well-known marker of neurodegeneration.

Data from the blarcamesine in Alzheimer’s disease Phase 2b/3 randomized clinical trial will be published in an upcoming peer-reviewed journal.

About Anavex Life Sciences Corp.

Anavex Life Sciences Corp. (Nasdaq: AVXL) is a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of novel therapeutics for the treatment of neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Rett syndrome, and other central nervous system (CNS) diseases, pain, and various types of cancer. Anavex's lead drug candidate, ANAVEX^®2-73 (blarcamesine), has successfully completed a Phase 2a and a Phase 2b/3 clinical trial for Alzheimer's disease, a Phase 2 proof-of-concept study in Parkinson's disease dementia, and both a Phase 2 and a Phase 3 study in adult patients with Rett syndrome. ANAVEX^®2-73 is an orally available drug candidate that restores cellular homeostasis by targeting sigma-1 and muscarinic receptors. Preclinical studies demonstrated its potential to halt and/or reverse the course of Alzheimer's disease. ANAVEX^®2-73 also exhibited anticonvulsant, anti-amnesic, neuroprotective, and anti-depressant properties in animal models, indicating its potential to treat additional CNS disorders, including epilepsy. The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research previously awarded Anavex a research grant, which fully funded a preclinical study to develop ANAVEX^®2-73 for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. ANAVEX^®3-71, which targets sigma-1 and M1 muscarinic receptors, is a promising clinical stage drug candidate demonstrating disease-modifying activity against the major hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease in transgenic (3xTg-AD) mice, including cognitive deficits, amyloid, and tau pathologies. In preclinical trials, ANAVEX^®3-71 has shown beneficial effects on mitochondrial dysfunction and neuroinflammation. Further information is available at www.anavex.com. You can also connect with the Company on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release that are not strictly historical in nature are forward-looking statements. These statements are only predictions based on current information and expectations and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual events or results may differ materially from those projected in any of such statements due to various factors, including the risks set forth in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement and Anavex Life Sciences Corp. undertakes no obligation to revise or update this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.

For Further Information:
Anavex Life Sciences Corp.
Research & Business Development
Toll-free: 1-844-689-3939
Email: info@anavex.com

Investors:
Andrew J. Barwicki
Investor Relations

Tel: 516-662-9461
Email: andrew@barwicki.com

¹ Frölich L, Jessen F. Editorial: Lecanemab: Appropriate Use Recommendations - A Commentary from a European Perspective. J Prev Alzheimers Dis. 2023;10(3):357-358. doi: 10.14283/jpad.2023.44. PMID: 37357274.
² Jönsson L, Wimo A, Handels R, Johansson G, Boada M, Engelborghs S, Frölich L, Jessen F, Kehoe PG, Kramberger M, de Mendonςa A, Ousset PJ, Scarmeas N, Visser PJ, Waldemar G, Winblad B. The affordability of lecanemab, an amyloid-targeting therapy for Alzheimer's disease: an EADC-EC viewpoint. Lancet Reg Health Eur. 2023 May 22;29:100657. doi: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2023.100657. PMID: 37251789; PMCID: PMC10220264.
³ https://www.braincouncil.eu/projects/rethinking-alzheimers-disease/
⁴ Jönsson L. The personal economic burden of dementia in Europe. Lancet Reg Health Eur. 2022 Jul 25;20:100472. doi: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2022.100472. PMID: 35910037; PMCID: PMC9326307.
⁵ World Health Organization (WHO); 2021. Global status report on the public health response to dementia.