加拿大Allon Therapeutics Inc.
Allon Therapeutics Inc. (温哥华，Vancouver)是着重在神经系统保护的科技公司，也就是The Neuro Protection Company™ 。公司宣布已扩大进行中临床测试范围，将增加阿尔滋海默症病人列入受测对象，并研究AL–108在这些病人身上的药物动力学。Allon宣布2008年1月10日已在一项额外的临床测试中启动用药，评估在正常健康个体中，施用AL–108 及 AL–208这两个药物对脑脊液(cerebrospinal fluid，CSF)及血浆药物动力学(plasma pharmacokinetics，PK)产生的影响。公司执行长兼总裁Gordon McCauley先生指出，增加阿尔滋海默症病人为受测对象，反应出公司正在强化现行临床计划，同时也是要确保公司在进入阿尔滋海默症病人临床第IIB期药物有效性测试设计之前，己取得有力的证据数据。公司预定在2008年本季取得公司药物在阿尔滋海默症前身的健忘型轻度知能障碍(amnestic mild cognitive impairment， aMCI)病人的临床第IIA期有效性测试资料之后，会在2008年内正式启动阿尔滋海默症病人临床第IIB期测试。 公司执行长兼总裁McCauley先生补充指出，在PK研究中增加阿尔滋海默症病人，将可以看出阿尔滋海默症病人在用药安全方面和健康成人是否有差别，同时也让公司了解当进入到阿尔滋海默症病人临床第IIB期测试时，该期待那些结果。在这项PK研究中增加阿尔滋海默症病人，也让公司了解到一些在阿尔滋海默症病人脑脊液出现的生物标识分子，进一步可以去观察在这项人类疾病病理动作的一些分子修饰机制。

Allon Therapeutics Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing treatments for major neurodegenerative conditions. Allon’s drug davunetide intranasal (AL-108) has demonstrated human efficacy in amnestic mild cognitive impairment, a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease. Allon has Phase II human efficacy programs pursuing large underserved markets: Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, and schizophrenia-related cognitive impairment. The Company is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbol “NPC” (Neuro Protection CompanyTM) and based in Vancouver.

Allon's milestones for 2009 include:

Execute a partnership agreement with a major pharmaceutical company
Initiate a Phase II study in frontotemporal dementia
Commence a Phase IIb study in AD with a partner
Initiate a Phase II PET study in AD patients
Announce top-line results from the Phase II study in schizophrenia-related cognitive impairment
Alzheimer’s disease
The first drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease came out in 1993. Since then, drugs have been developed that offer some symptomatic relief, but have no impact on the disease process or its progression. (Source: Paul Aisen, MD. Director, the Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study, U.S. National Institutes of Health. Professor, School of Medicine, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego.)

“The combination of the symptomatic impact shown in this clinical trial and Allon’s pre-clinical data showing an impact on plaques and tangles, the classic hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease, highlights the potential of davunetide intranasal (AL-108) as a disease-modifying therapy”.

(Donald Schmechel, MD. Adjunct Professor of Medicine (Geriatics), Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina. Medical Director, The Falls Neurological and Memory Center, Caldwell Memorial Hospital, Lenoir, North Carolina.)

Human efficacy

Allon released positive results from a Phase IIa clinical trial that showed two daily 15 mg doses of davunetide intranasal (AL-108) over 12 weeks of treatment resulted in statistically significant, dose-dependent and durable improvements on key endpoints that measure short-term recall and working memory — two types of memory that are clinically relevant in Alzheimer’s disease – in patients diagnosed with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease.

Reduces “tangles”, increases memory

In July 2008, Allon’s scientific presentations at the International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders (ICAD 2008) in Chicago demonstrated that the Phase IIa aMCI clinical trial data support the results of several studies in animals that show davunetide intranasal (AL-108) reduced the classic Alzheimer’s “tangles” pathology and also increased memory function.