Anavex Initiates Regulatory Submission of Oral Blarcamesine for Alzheimer’s Disease to European Medicines Agency (EMA)

NEW YORK, Nov. 20, 2023 (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 announced today that representatives of Anavex met with team members of the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

These meetings discussed the debilitating pathology of Alzheimer’s disease and Anavex’s blarcamesine (ANAVEX2-73) Alzheimer’s disease clinical program results, including data obtained in the ANAVEX2-73-AD-004 study.

Pursuant to discussion at the meetings, Anavex initiated the process for submitting a Marketing Authorisation application to the EMA with the submission of the Centralised Procedure request with the goal of the Authorisation allowing direct access to the market of the European Union for oral blarcamesine for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

Anavex’s goal is to take care of patients in a patient-centric way with the preference for convenient oral treatment options for Alzheimer’s disease not requiring complex logistics resources and added personnel for drug administration and monitoring for brain edema and brain bleeds.

Severe symptoms in relation to Amyloid-Related Imaging Abnormalities (ARIA) is a known risk factor for Alzheimer’s patients taking the class of drugs called monoclonal antibodies, and requires constant and repeated MRI examination, for which not all regions in Europe are currently sufficiently prepared and equipped for in addition to the requirement to address affordability and inequalities in patient access within European Union countries.^1,2

“We look forward to working together with the team from EMA,” said David Goldberger, RPh, MLS, Senior Vice President Regulatory Affairs at Anavex. “We continue to work towards fulfilling our purpose of improving patients' lives with oral blarcamesine not requiring any complex additional procedures for the treatment of people with Alzheimer’s disease.”

There are an estimated 7 million people in Europe with Alzheimer’s disease, a number expected to double by 2030, according to the European Brain Council.³

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated the cost in Europe of caring for people with dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, at $439 billion, or $31,144 per person in 2019. That includes hospital care, medicines, diagnostics, informal caregiver time, community services and long-term care facility costs.^4,5