CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Apnimed, a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on advancing oral medicines to treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and related disorders, today announced that Dr. Luigi Taranto Montemurro, the company’s Medical Director will present at the World Sleep Conference, held virtually December 3-5, 2020. Dr. Taranto Montemurro’s presentation discussing pharmacotherapy for OSA is scheduled for Friday, December 4th^th from 6:00 – 6:30 PM EST.

About Apnimed’s lead product - AD109
Apnimed’s lead product candidate, AD109, targets the neurologic control and facilitates the activation of the upper airway dilator muscles to maintain an open airway during sleep. AD109 is a first-in-class, oral pharmaceutical combination dosed once-daily at bedtime, designed to treat OSA patients across a broad spectrum of disease severity. AD109 combines a selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (atomoxetine) with a novel new chemical entity (NCE) – a selective antimuscarinic (aroxybutynin). The investigational drug is designed to be safe, effective, and convenient, addressing the key limitations of the current standard of care treatments.

About Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is one of the most common and serious sleep disorders and is estimated to affect more than 25 million Americans, though underdiagnosis continues to be a serious problem. OSA is characterized by partial or complete upper airway closure that occurs during sleep, which often leads to poor sleep, and in the long-term, hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, strokes, and early mortality. Additionally, OSA can impair work productivity, reduce functional ability, and lower quality of life.

Sleep-related muscular relaxation driven by the central nervous system is the key neurologic issue leading to OSA. In patients with OSA, sleep onset leads to a reduction in neuromuscular control of the upper airway and a corresponding relaxation of the upper airway and tongue muscles. The vast majority of diagnosed patients are prescribed positive air pressure therapy devices such as continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, but fewer than half are compliant long-term, leaving a significant population untreated, undertreated and at risk.

About Apnimed
Apnimed is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company working to transform the treatment of sleep apnea based on a simple idea – patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea will benefit from treatment with a safe and effective oral medication. Apnimed’s lead development program targets the neurologic control of upper airway muscles to maintain an open airway during sleep. The drug is delivered as a convenient once-daily pill at bedtime. Based in Cambridge, Mass., the company is developing a portfolio of novel pharmacologic therapies for sleep apnea and related disorders. Learn more at Apnimed.com

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