Anavex Life Sciences has reported promising outcomes from its 48-week open-label extension study of
the investigational agent ANAVEX2-73, also known as blarcamesine, in treating
Parkinson’s disease dementia (PDD). This extensive study highlights significant
improvements in both primary and secondary efficacy endpoints, suggesting a
potential breakthrough for patients suffering from PDD. 

The study, labeled ANAVEX2-73-PDD-EP-001, encountered delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which
reduced the enrollment rate and caused a “drug holiday” for
participants. Despite these setbacks, patients who resumed treatment with
blarcamesine reported marked improvements in their symptoms over the 48-week extension period. 

Key metrics, including the Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating
Scale (MDS-UPDRS) Parts II and III, and the Clinical Global
Impression-Improvement (CGI-I), showed consistent improvement. Anavex Life
Sciences noted a notable change of –2.25 in MDS-UPDRS total score and –0.7 in
CGI-I, indicating the drug’s efficacy. 

According to Anavex, these results are encouraging for the patient community, as blarcamesine appears to
address the urgent unmet need for effective treatments in Parkinson’s disease.
The data suggests that ANAVEX2-73 may have the capability to slow, and
potentially reverse, the debilitating symptoms of PDD. 

Moreover, the original phase 2 study of ANAVEX2-73 revealed significant improvements in
cognitive functions, as measured by the Cognitive Drug Research system. This
finding was complemented by restored expression levels of dysregulated neurodegenerative genes. 

In summary, Anavex’s ongoing research into blarcamesine continues to show promise.
The company plans to further investigate this agent in forthcoming clinical
trials, aiming to provide a much-needed therapeutic option for Parkinson’s
disease dementia. 

Read this article for more information. 

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