Replies to post #131526 on Anavex Life Sciences Corp (AVXL)

[falconer66a]

Not So, But Very Good Thinking

I was thinking that the Gut Microbes analysis may identify bacteria or whatever in an individual that breaks down the effect of 273.

Mike, good thinking. But not so, as I’ll explain.

But if you were a student in my biology class, I would award you two extra credit points on the next test, a reward for top-notch, innovative thinking. Just what good biologists do.

I doubt that Anavex 2-73 is destroyed or metabolized by microbes in any way that reduces its effectiveness or position in neurons. First, because it easily penetrates the blood/brain barrier, something that few drugs are able to do, it probably also penetrates stomach and intestinal walls with relative ease or speed. It is probable that most of the orally ingested drug is rapidly and completely absorbed into the blood stream running through the gastrointestinal tract. The microbes there would have little opportunity to destroy the Anavex 2-73 molecules. The molecules would be transported to nerve tissues where they would readily cross the blood/brain barrier and diffuse into (or be transported into) nerve cells.

It’s there, I believe, in the neurons that Anavex 2-73 is metabolized to its more enduring (and more active?) metabolite.

[PeterKarol]

The gut bacteria produce variety of organic compounds. For example it was known that the soil bacteria were conducting chemical warfare with other organisms in soil. The discovery of penicillin was the making of the pharma industry. Since then on people were collecting samples of soil and organisms to look for some bio active compounds produced by those. That is very expensive process but by now replaced by designing molecules to interact with molecules known to be involved in physiology of diseases.
Your gut bacteria might be responsible for your health through production of compounds of their (bacteria’s) utility yet influencing your well being.