Cortex reports research results on use of ampakines CX1739 and CX717 to treat respiratory disorders

Cortex is a leader in developing drugs for respiratory disorders, particularly sleep apnea (both obstructive and central) and drug-induced respiratory depression.

Premature infants exhibit frequent apneic events and have weak endogenous respiratory drive, which are some of the most persistent and troubling problems in neonatal intensive care. Apnea of prematurity occurs in varying degrees in more than 85% of infants who are born at less than 34 weeks of gestation.

In a paper entitled "Ampakines Enhance Weak Endogenous Respiratory Drive and Alleviate Apnea in Perinatal Rats" in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Volume 191, Number 6, March 15, 2015 (http://www.atsjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1164/rccm.201410-1898OC – .VUZzCEskhuZ), Ren, Ding and Greer describe experiments in perinatal rats that demonstrate increased inspiratory drive in response to Cortex’s ampakine CX1739.

The authors report that CX1739 reduces apneas and improves ventilation in perinatal rats, providing pharmacologic evidence that CX1739 should be considered for development to treat this indication, which is currently a poorly met clinical need.

In an editorial review in the same journal, Dr. Christopher G. Wilson, Ph.D., Department of Pediatrics and Center for Perinatal Biology, Loma Linda University, writes of the results, "according to these data, the ampakine CX1739 is a promising candidate for replacing or enhancing caffeine therapy in neonates.

Further preclinical and clinical trials focused on the use of CX1739 in the neonatal intensive care unit are the next logical benchmark."

In another publication entitled "Ampakines Stimulate Respiratory Motor Output and Ventilation in a Murine Model of Pompe Disease," in the American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology, January 8, 2015 (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=greer+pompe+CX717), ElMallah, Greer, Fuller, et al, describe experiments in which CX717, another of the Company’s ampakines, stimulates respiratory neuromotor output and ventilation in a genetic mouse model of Pompe Disease, suggesting that ampakines may have potential as an adjunctive therapy in Pompe Disease.

Dr. John Greer, Ph.D., Head of the Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute at the University of Alberta, and a co-author on both publications, has dedicated his research to understanding the basic mechanisms of breathing and discovering the use of ampakines to promote respiration.

Dr. Greer is the inventor of the use patents licensed by Cortex for the use of ampakines that the Company is developing for the treatment of drug-induced respiratory depression and central and mixed-sleep apnea.

"The low-impact ampakines that we are studying, CX717, CX1739 and CX1942, have the potential to treat a wide variety of respiratory disorders that have few, if any, treatment options," said Dr. Greer. "We are pleased to see that our work is leading to the development of clinically meaningful compounds that have the potential to help patients breath."

"These publications by our research partners at the University of Alberta and the University of Florida demonstrate the Company’s commitment to basic research in respiratory disorders," said Richard Purcell, Senior Vice President of Research and Development for Cortex.

"We are nearly ready to initiate our Phase 2 clinical program with the ampakine CX1739 in the prevention of respiratory depression caused by opiates and propofol, and we are excited about the opportunity to expand our development efforts in respiratory care, guided by these scientific discoveries."