MediciNova’s Ibudilast for ALS Abstract Accepted For Presentation at American Academy of Neurology Meeting
Biopharmaceutical company MediciNova, Inc. announced that an abstract on the company’s ongoing clinical trial of MN-166 (ibudilast) to address amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has been accepted for presentation at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) 67th Annual Meeting, which will take place on April 18 to 25, 2015 in Washington, DC.
The presentation, entitled “A Single-Center, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Six-Month Clinical Trial Followed by an Open-Label Extension to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability and Clinical Endpoint Responsiveness of the Phosphodiesterase Type 4 (PDE4) Inhibitor Ibudilast (MN-166) in Subjects with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) – STEP-IBUDILAST-ALS-DB-OLE-1,” will be held at two different sessions during the meeting.
The first presentation will take place on April 21, 2015 from 1 pm to 5 pm and the second on April 23, 2015, from 3:15 pm to 5 pm.
MN-166’s (ibudilast) ongoing trial in ALS is a double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled study that includes a six-month treatment period and a 6 month open-label extension. This trial’s goal is to evaluate some efficacy endpoints such as functional activity (ALSFRS-R), muscle strength, respiratory function and non-invasive ventilation (NIV) usage in addition to monitoring both tolerability and safety of MN-166 60 mg/day and comparing it with the placebo when administered in combination with riluzole in 60 individuals with the disease.
MN-166 (ibudilast) has been used since 1989 in Korea and in Japan to address post-stroke complications and bronchial asthma. MediciNova licensed MN-166 (ibudilast) to address relapse-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and progressive MS.
As described in the press release: “MN-166 (ibudilast) is a first-in-class, orally bio-available, small molecule phosphodiesterase (PDE) -4 and -10 inhibitor and a macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) inhibitor that suppresses pro-inflammatory cytokines and promotes neurotrophic factors.” MN-166 attenuates glia cells that in turn play a crucial role in specific neurological conditions. Ibudilast’s abilities as a neuroprotective and anti-neuroinflammatory agent have been demonstrated in both pre-clinical and clinical studies that support its potential to address neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS, progressive MS, chronic neuropathic pain and substance addiction/abuse.
MediciNova Inc is a biopharmaceutical company advancing small-molecule therapeutics to treat diseases with clear unmet needs, with commercial focus on the United States market. More information is available on MediciNova, Inc. website: www.medicinova.com.
