" NEWS AND EVENTS Neurotrope Completes Licensing Agreement for Accelerated Synthesis of Alzheimer’s Drug Bryostatin-1 Creates potential for an economical and commercially viable supply of Bryostatin-1
News provided by Neurotrope, Inc.
NEW YORK, Jan 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Neurotrope, Inc. (OTCQB: NTRPD), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapies for neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, announced today that it has signed a licensing agreement with Stanford University for an accelerated synthesis of bryostatin-1. Prior to this synthetic route, bryostastin-1 had to be isolated from tons of natural sources to obtain grams of the drug.
Bryostatin-1 is a complex marine natural product with 11 chiral centers, which made the development of a synthetic method especially difficult. Animal studies have shown that bryostatin crosses the blood brain barrier. Neurotrope has based its Phase 2a, expanded access program, and its ongoing Phase 2 Alzheimer’s disease (AD) clinical trials, (top-line data anticipated to be announced in April, 2017), on extensive pre-clinical pharmacology and efficacy studies, led by Dr. Daniel Alkon, President and Chief Scientific Officer. These animal studies have demonstrated bryostatin-1 efficacy for restorative synaptogenesis, prevention of neuronal death, and anti-amyloid, anti-tau metabolism via the activation of PKC epsilon pathways via bryostatin-1 activation.
The restorative therapeutic potential of bryostatin-1 and bryostatin- like activators, may be fundamental to a number of neuro-degenerative pathways and neurologic indications including AD, Fragile X syndrome (FXS), stroke, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and depression. Consequently, the need for an economical, commercial supply has increased. [/b{
Stanford University chemists, Drs. Paul Wender and Barry Trost, together with Dr. Garry Keck of the University of Utah, developed the initial routes to total synthesis of bryostatin-1.
The drug that Neurotrope has licensed has many potential benefits, including cost, time and manufacturing risk reduction.