NeuroScientific Biopharmaceuticals (ASX:NSB) has announced positive preliminary results of lead drug candidate EmtinB in an animal model of Multiple sclerosis (MS).
The company said the study was undertaken by contract research partner Biospective in Canada.
The study was conducted in the myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (MOG-EAE) mouse model. The company said this is the gold-standard animal model for replicating the inflammatory mechanisms of human MS.
The study evaluated EmtinB across 4 dose groups with the drug administered daily for a period of 30-days following the onset of initial symptoms in the mice.
The company said mice treated with 10mg/kg and 20mg/kg doses of EmtinB consistently achieved lower clinical scores, indicating reduced disease severity, from the onset of symptoms and through to the peak of the disease in comparison to untreated controls.
EmtinB-treated mice had lower concentrations of neurofilament light chain in the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) and plasma samples in comparison to untreated controls. Mice treated with 10mg/kg and 20mg/kg also consistently exhibited higher levels of myelin in comparison to untreated controls. Myelin is important for the efficient function of nerve cells.
NeuroScientific’s managing director and CEO Matt Liddelow said, “The preliminary results from this study conducted in the gold standard animal model for MS are highly encouraging for the development of EmtinB as a treatment for MS, in particular the relapse-remitting type of MS in which inflammation is a key driver of symptoms. In comparison to currently marketed MS therapeutics, EmtinB has the potential to be a disease-modifying treatment option for MS patients with a much more tolerable side-effect profile.”
