RespireRx Pharmaceuticals Inc. Announces New Data Regarding the Use of AMPAkines as Potential Treatments for Spinal Cord Injury
BY GlobeNewswire
— 9:15 AM ET 05/12/2021
Glen Rock, N.J., May 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RespireRx Pharmaceuticals Inc. ( RSPI ) (“RespireRx” or the “Company”), a leader in the discovery and development of innovative and revolutionary treatments to combat diseases caused by disruption of neuronal signaling, is pleased to announce that Drs. Sabhya Rana, Michael Sunshine and David Fuller presented a poster entitled “Low Dose Ampakine Stimulates Diaphragm Activity and Increases Tidal Volume Following Cervical Spinal Cord Injury in Non-anesthetized Freely Behaving Rats” at the Annual Experimental Biology Conference, which was conducted online this year April 27-30.
The Company has been working with Dr. Fuller at the University of Florida who has funding from NIH, to evaluate the use of our AMPAkines for the treatment of compromised motor function in spinal cord injury (“SCI”). In prior studies, the Fuller Laboratory has shown that acute treatment with AMPAkines CX717 and CX1739 can increase inspiratory phrenic motor output in rat models of incomplete cervical spinal cord injury (SCI), when studied under anesthesia in a surgical setting. AMPAkines were observed to increase motor nerve activity under baseline conditions as well when given in conjunction with acute intermittent hypoxia, a treatment known to stimulate synaptic plasticity.
The results presented at the conference were conducted in awake, freely moving rats, a condition analogous to that experienced by SCI patients in the real world. At 4 and 14 days following C2 cervical spinal hemi-section injury, rats were given single, low dose (5 mg/kg) intravenous injections of CX717, CX1739 or vehicle. At 4-days following injury, both AMPAkines increased diaphragm motor nerve activity (EMG) ipsilateral to the injured side during both the baseline breathing and the acute respiratory challenge. At 14-days following injury, both AMPAkines produced sustained increases in ipsilateral diaphragm EMG output and increased output during respiratory challenge.
According to Dr. Fuller, “Cervical SCI results in respiratory compromise which is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity. These animal models of motor nerve function following SCI support proof of concept for a new treatment paradigm using AMPAkines to improve motor functions in patients with SCI.”
Dr. Arnold Lippa, Chief Scientific Officer of the Company said that, “We are continuing our collaborative preclinical research with Dr. Fuller to determine whether other forms of motor activity might be improved. At the same time, we are planning a clinical trial program focused on developing AMPAkines for the restoration of certain motor functions in patients with SCI. The Company is working with researchers at highly regarded clinical sites to finalize a Phase 2 clinical trial protocol, which we intend to submit to the FDA.”
Tim Jones, CEO and President of the Company said that “The ongoing collaboration between RespireRx and the University of Florida has generated potentially groundbreaking data in the treatment of spinal cord injury. We are very excited by the role that our AMPAkine product candidates may play in further progressing much needed treatments for SCI.”
A copy of the poster presented at the Annual Experimental Biology Conference may be viewed on our website at www.respirerx.com/presentations/
