Cortex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Release: Help For The Sleep-Deprived Brain

IRVINE, Calif., Dec. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Sleep deprivation can take its toll on body and mind, leading to dull thinking and slower reaction times. That can be dangerous while driving and also at work. A regular pattern of restful sleep may be the solution. But for some shift workers, health care professionals, and military personnel, that’s not always possible.

Shift workers and military personnel disrupt their sleep-wake cycles on a regular basis, often remaining awake for 24 hours at a stretch or even longer. This leads to reduced hand-to-eye coordination that is astonishing similar to a blood alcohol content of 0.1.

“Since sleep disorders are a tremendous drain on the productivity and safety of our country, there is an urgent need for a solution that can help the sleep deprived regain cognitive and psychomotor functions,” says Dr. Roger Stoll, CEO of Cortex Pharmaceuticals, a neuroscience company focused on innovative drug therapy including their leading ampakine compound, CX717 which targets various neurological and psychiatric disorders.

“CX717 is a type of drug called an ampakine. Ampakine drugs act to increase the strength of signals at key connections between brain cells,” says Dr. Stoll. “Ampakine drugs are designed to up-regulate to the principle neurotransmitters in the brain. CX717 amplifies signals, and may also increase the amount of growth factors in the brain.”

The U.S. Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) recently tested CX717 in a sleep deprivation study in primates led by Sam Deadwyler, Ph.D, a senior researcher at the physiology and pharmacology department of Wake Forest University. The study, recently published in the Public Library of Science, Biology, found that CX717 administered to sleep- deprived monkeys improved cognitive performance and also reversed the delirious effects of sleep deprivation.

Through the first Phase IIa clinical trial conducted in the United Kingdom, the company gained evidence that CX717 promotes wakefulness may improve memory and attention, and was safe and tolerable. “We were particularly impressed in both the increased attention and vigilance scores and the cerebral arousal this first study identified in human subjects who had been sleep deprived,” said Dr. Stoll.

America is arguably the most sleep-deprived nation in the world. The National Commission on Sleep Disorders estimates that 40 million Americans are either chronically or intermittently affected with various sleep disorders.

For more information about CX717, log on to http://www.cortexpharm.com

Cortex Pharmaceuticals

CONTACT: Lynn Granito for Cortex Pharmaceuticals, +1-212-825-3210,lgranito@investorrelationsgroup.com

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