Anavex Life Sciences Reports Data Review by the Independent Data Safety Monitoring Board for its Phase 2b/3 Clinical Trial of ANAVEX2-73 in Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease

NEW YORK, March 31, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Anavex Life Sciences Corp. (“Anavex” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: AVXL), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing differentiated therapeutics for the treatment of neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Rett syndrome and other central nervous system (CNS) diseases, today announced that the Independent Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) for the Company's Phase 2b/3 Alzheimer’s disease study of its investigational compound ANAVEX2-73 (blarcamesine) has completed its recent pre-planned review of the preliminary Phase 2b/3 study data.

As specified in the protocol, the DSMB reviewed the interim safety data for the ANAVEX2-73 Phase 2b/3 Alzheimer’s disease clinical study ANAVEX2-73-AD-004 and its Open Label Extension (OLE) ANAVEX2-73-AD-EP-004 ATTENTION-AD study.

Upon review of the interim safety data, the DSMB made the following recommendation:

• The DSMB recommendation is to continue the studies without modification.
  

DSMBs are committees commonly used in clinical trials to protect the interests of the patients and the integrity of the study data in ongoing trials.

ANAVEX2-73 activates the sigma-1 receptor (SIGMAR1). Data suggests that activation of SIGMAR1 results in the restoration of complete housekeeping function within the body and is pivotal to restoring neural cell homeostasis and promoting neuroplasticity.¹

PET scan data previously confirmed dose-dependent target engagement of SIGMAR1 with ANAVEX2-73.²

The ongoing placebo-controlled 450-patient Phase 2b/3 ANAVEX2-73 clinical study in patients with Alzheimer's disease is presently over 92% enrolled and includes prespecified SIGMAR1 gene expression as endpoints using ADAS-Cog (cognition) and ADCS-ADL (activities of daily living and function) as primary endpoints.³

Anavex Life Sciences’ product portfolio includes small drug molecule lead candidate ANAVEX2-73 for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and Rett syndrome.

About ANAVEX2-73-AD-004 Clinical Study (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03790709) and OLE ANAVEX2-73-AD-EP-004 Clinical Study ATTENTION-AD (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04314934)

ANAVEX2-73-AD-004 clinical study is a Phase 2b/3 double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, 48-week safety and efficacy trial of ANAVEX2-73 for the treatment of early Alzheimer’s disease. The Phase 2b/3 study is expected to enroll approximately 450 patients, randomized 1:1:1 to two different ANAVEX2-73 doses or placebo. The ANAVEX2-73 Phase 2b/3 study design includes genomic precision medicine biomarkers identified in the previous ANAVEX2-73 Phase 2a study (ANAVEX2-73-002, NCT02244541). Primary and secondary endpoints will assess safety and both cognitive and functional efficacy, measured through ADAS-Cog, ADCS-ADL and CDR-SB. ANAVEX2-73 Phase 2a Alzheimer’s disease study previously demonstrated dose dependent improvement in exploratory endpoints of cognition (MMSE) and function (ADCS-ADL).⁴ ANAVEX2-73-AD-EP-004 is the 96-week open label extension of the placebo-controlled Phase 2b/3 ANAVEX2-73 study.