Newron Notes the Publication of New Preclinical
Newron Notes the Publication of New Preclinical Research Suggesting Evenamide Ameliorates Schizophrenia-Related Dysfunction
MILAN & MORRISTOWN, N.J., Newron Pharmaceuticals S.p.A. , a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel therapies for diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system, notes the publication of new preclinical research in the peer-reviewed journal Neuropsychopharmacology on the unique mechanism and site of action of evenamide as a potential treatment for schizophrenia.
The findings by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, using the neurodevelopmental methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM) animal model, indicated that evenamide, Newron’s first-in-class glutamate modulator, could offer a novel therapeutic strategy capable of addressing positive, cognitive, and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. New findings published in Neuropsychopharmacology are the first to demonstrate that evenamide targets the key site of schizophrenia pathology in the hippocampus, and so could be an ideal therapeutic agent for treatment of the disorder
Systemic, acute administration of evenamide in the neurodevelopment MAM model of schizophrenia improved positive, negative and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia. Time-course analysis indicates effects of a single dose of evenamide last long after elimination of drug, suggesting effect on neuronal plasticity.
Evenamide’s glutamate modulation may improve overall outcomes in poorly responding or treatment resistant patients with schizophrenia on current antipsychotics, offering a novel strategy for managing the disorder.
Schizophrenia is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting approximately 1% of the world’s population, and is characterized by positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms. However, current dopamine D2 antagonist-based antipsychotic drugs only address primarily positive symptoms.
"The study findings suggest that evenamide has high therapeutic potential for treating multiple symptom domains of schizophrenia," said Senior study author Dr. Anthony A. Grace of the University of Pittsburgh. "Evenamide is a unique NCE agent in acting at the site of the deficit in schizophrenia by reducing hippocampal hyperexcitability. This represents a significant advancement in treatment, as evenamide can downregulate the hyperdopaminergic state without producing D2 blockade-related side effects while also improving behavioral deficits that are not properly treated by D2 blocking antipsychotic agents."
