Trophos initiates phase 1 clinical trial with TRO19622
Marseilles, 15th December 2004 - Trophos, a biopharmaceutical company based in Marseille, France, and dedicated to the discovery and development of drugs for chronic neurodegenerative diseases, announced today the initiation of a Phase I clinical trial for its lead compound TRO19622, an investigational drug to treat neurodegenerative disorders, with a first application to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) patients.
The clinical trial will take place in France and will include both a single dose study and a multiple dose study on healthy adult subjects. Its purpose is to evaluate the safety and tolerability of TRO19622. The company expects that this trial will be completed at the end of the third quarter of 2005. TRO19622 is expected to prevent the release of apoptotic factors from mitochondria, and therefore protect the neuron.
Dr. Rebecca Pruss, Trophos' Chief Scientific Officer stated: "We
are excited that only two years after identification of compound TRO19622,
we are able to initiate a clinical trial with a lead compound coming from
our screen on sick neurons and to validate in humans the innovative neuroprotective
approach we have already successfully tested at pharmacological and preclinical
stages. TRO19622 due to its original mechanism of action may have broader
neuroprotective activities. The safety profile of TRO19622, when validated,
will allow us rapidly to test its efficacy in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
patients and then to develop it for Spinal Muscular Atrophy and other
chronic neurodegenerative disorders".
Trophos is a biopharmaceutical company committed to the discovery and development of novel therapeutic compounds for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders. Trophos has fully integrated preclinical and clinical capabilities. The company has developed specific know-how and is focused on recreating neuronal degeneration in the test tube and screening small molecules libraries. Compounds that improve neuron survival in that context are then rapidly developed to drug candidate stage, thus giving Trophos a competitive advantage. The company has proprietary compounds in preclinical and clinical development for the treatment of motor neuron diseases, Huntington's disease and neuroprotection in general. Trophos, founded in 1999, is based in Marseilles, France. The company has 35 employees.