This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Memory drug moves into clinical study
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
A drug that has the potential to treat dementia and Alzheimer's disease has moved into a phase 1 safety trial, according to a press release from the NIH.
Compound BPN14770 was developed by Tetra Discovery Partners with funding from the NIH.
"We are pleased that BPN14770 has moved into a clinical study and we are eagerly awaiting the outcomes of the safety trial," Amir Tamiz, PhD, program director at the NIH's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), said in the release.
The compound is a phosphodiestrase 4D negative allosteric modulator that increases the activity of cyclic adenosine monophosphate, according to the release. That protein plays a role in learning and memory and may allow BPN14770 to treat Alzheimer's and dementia without the serious adverse effects that are associated with other drugs, such as rolipram.
Researchers will investigate the safety and pharmacokinetics of BPN14770 in 48 healthy volunteers. The next phase of testing would involve an assessment of long-term memory effects and other cognitive factors.
The study will be funded by NINDS as well as the NIH's National Institute on Aging.
As detailed in the release, further studies may investigate the effects of BPN14770 in Alzheimer's patients and patients with mild cognitive impairment.