Addex’ Dipraglurant Receives Orphan Drug Designation from the FDA for Levodopa-Induced Dyskinesia Associated with Parkinson’s Disease

Addex’ Dipraglurant Receives Orphan Drug Designation from the FDA for Levodopa-Induced Dyskinesia Associated with Parkinson’s Disease


FDA Orphan Drug Status Validates the Potential Therapeutic Use of Dipraglurant in this Rare Disease 

Geneva, Switzerland, 4 January 2016 – Addex Therapeutics (SIX: ADXN), a leading company pioneering allosteric modulation-based drug discovery and development, announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan drug designation to dipraglurant for the treatment of levodopa-induced dyskinesia associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD-LID). Orphan drug status provides Addex with a number of benefits including reduced development costs and seven years US market exclusivity from launch. Dipraglurant is a novel small molecule inhibitor of the metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) that has successfully completed Phase II proof-of-concept testing in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients suffering from debilitating levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID), an indication that has no approved treatment options. Addex is currently conducting an mGlu5 receptor occupancy clinical trial and is preparing to start a Phase III pivotal trial in PD-LID.

“Orphan drug status for dipraglurant in PD-LID is an important regulatory milestone for us and recognizes the therapeutic benefits that dipraglurant can bring to PD patients“, said Sonia Poli, CSO of Addex. “Dipraglurant has already demonstrated its potential to reduce dyskinesia in PD patients and we have started consultation with the FDA to define the clinical development program in this rare disease.”

“Achieving orphan drug designation is a key milestone as we execute our strategy of focusing Addex portfolio of clinical programs in rare neurological disorders”, said Tim Dyer, CEO of Addex. “We recently reported positive interim data from our ongoing mGluR5 receptor occupancy clinical trial and now plan to move dipraglurant directly into a Phase III pivotal trial in the US.”

About Orphan Drug Designation
Orphan drug designation is granted by the FDA Office of Orphan Products Development (OOPD) to novel drugs that treat a rare disease or condition affecting fewer than 200,000 patients in the United States. The designation provides the sponsor with a seven-year period of U.S. marketing exclusivity from launch, as well as tax credits for clinical research costs, the ability to apply for annual grant funding, clinical research trial design assistance, and waiver of Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) filing fees.

About Dipraglurant 
Dipraglurant is an oral, small molecule allosteric modulator that inhibits selectively the metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5), a Class C G-Protein Coupled Receptor (GPCR), with potential to be used in combination with levodopa or dopamine agonists or as a standalone treatment for Parkinson's disease levodopa-induced dyskinesia (PD-LID), motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, US and European Phase II study in PD-LID, data showed that dipraglurant met the primary objective of the study by exhibiting a good safety and tolerability profile. Dipraglurant also demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in LID severity with both 50 and 100 mg doses. Dipraglurant reduced dystonia severity in addition to chorea, the two major LID components. Efficacy was measured using the modified Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale and patient diaries documenting "off-time" (impaired voluntary movement), "on-time" (with or without dyskinesia) and sleep. Additional endpoints include the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, the Clinical and Patient Global Impression of Changes scales, and an evaluation of the patient’s mood using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. The trial was supported by a grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.

About Levodopa-Induced Dyskinesia Associated with Parkinson’s Disease
PD-LID are involuntary movements appear after 3-5 years of treatment with dopamine replacement therapies. They may affect any body area e.g. face, trunk, limbs, that occur when a patient takes levodopa. Patients suffering from LID commonly present with irregular migrating contractions or twisting and writhing due to dystonia, chorea, however other forms of abnormal movements have also been observed; peak-dose dyskinesia is the most common form and is associated with peak plasma levels of levodopa. Symptoms of LID are serious and can restrict the dosing of levodopa which may result in inadequate control of Parkinsonian symptoms. In addition to the impact on quality of life associated with uncontrollable involuntary movements, patients with LID are easily fatigued, present a risk of injury to themselves as well as caretakers, and suffer pain due to dystonia.  

About Addex Therapeutics
Addex Therapeutics (www.addextherapeutics.com) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel, orally available, small molecule allosteric modulators for neurological disorders. Addex lead drug candidate, dipraglurant (mGluR5 negative allosteric modulator or NAM) has successfully completed a Phase IIa POC in Parkinson’s disease levodopa-induced dyskinesia (PD-LID), and is being prepared to enter Phase III for PD-LID with support from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF). In parallel, dipraglurant’s therapeutic use in dystonia is being investigated with support from the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation (DMRF).  Addex second clinical program, ADX71149 (mGluR2 positive allosteric modulator or PAM) is being developed in collaboration with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc for epilepsy. In addition, ADX71441 (GABAB receptor PAM) has received regulatory approval to start Phase I and is being investigated for its therapeutic use in Charcot-Marie-Tooth Type 1A disease (CMT1A), alcohol use disorder and nicotine dependence with support from the US CMT Association (CMTA), the US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), and the US National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), respectively.  Discovery programs include mGluR4PAM for neurodegenerative diseases, mGluR7NAM for psychosomatic disorders and TrkBPAM for neurodegenerative disorders which are being advanced in collaboration with the Universities of Lausanne and Geneva under the Swiss CTI grant program; and mGluR3PAM which is being advanced in collaboration with Pierre Fabre Pharmaceuticals. Allosteric modulators are an emerging class of small molecule drugs which have the potential to be more specific and confer significant therapeutic advantages over conventional "orthosteric" small molecule or biological drugs. Addex allosteric modulator drug discovery platform targets receptors and other proteins that are recognized as essential for therapeutic intervention – the Addex pipeline was generated from this pioneering allosteric modulator drug discovery platform.

Press Contacts:
Tim Dyer
Chief Executive Officer
Addex Therapeutics
Telephone: +41 22 884 15 61
Email: PR(at)addextherapeutics.com


Disclaimer / Forward-looking statements: This communication does not constitute an offer or invitation to subscribe for or purchase any securities of Addex Therapeutics Ltd. This publication may contain certain forward-looking statements concerning the Company and its business. Such statements involve certain risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such statements. Readers should therefore not place undue reliance on these statements, particularly not in connection with any contract or investment decision. The Company disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

2016.01.04