Compound Shows Promise for Stroke Recovery

In a preclinical study, a small-molecule neuroprotective compound (NXY-059) demonstrated high levels of neuroprotection in an experimentally induced stroke model, which resulted in a significant lessening of disability. The study, conducted by investigators at Cambridge University (UK), was published in Stroke (2001;32:190-198).

The compound has displayed an excellent clinical safety profile in humans. It is being developed by AstraZeneca (London, UK) under a license agreement with Centaur Pharmaceuticals (Sunnyvale, CA, USA). Centaur says it is the first drug candidate to demonstrate such high levels of neuroprotection in both transient and permanent occlusion preclinical stroke models, with a therapeutic window of four to six hours. AstraZeneca will undertake additional preclinical studies to optimize the design of the phase II/III program.

Centaur is focused on the development of a novel class of small molecule compounds for the treatment of diseases involving ischemia/reperfusion and inflammation. The company's initial therapeutic targets are neurodegenerative conditions such as acute stroke and dementia. "While some prior drug candidates for stroke trials were dose-limited by side effects, we believe that NXY-059 is the first compound to be dosed in man at multiples of the effective plasma concentrations needed in animal models,” said Dr. Paul L. Wood, president and CEO of Centaur.



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