LA JOLLA, Calif., Nov. 04, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MediciNova, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company traded on the NASDAQ Global Market (NASDAQ:MNOV) and the JASDAQ Market of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (Code Number:4875), announced that Dr. Benjamin Rix Brooks, Principal Investigator, will present interim data from the ongoing clinical trial of MN-166 (ibudilast) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at the 14th Annual NEALS (Northeast Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) Meeting at Sandpearl Resort in Clearwater Beach, FL.
Presentation details are as follows:
Session Date and Time: Thursday, November 5, 2015, 4:00 PM EST
Location: Sandpearl Resort, 500 Mandalay Avenue, Clearwater Beach, FL 33767
Title: Single-Center, Adaptive, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Six-Month Clinical Trial Followed by an Open-Label Extension to Evaluate the Feasibility, Tolerability, Safety and Clinical Endpoint Responsiveness of the Phosphodiesterase Type 4 (PDE4) Inhibitor Ibudilast (MN-166) in Subjects with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) – Safety Report in Early ALS Subject Cohort Not Requiring Respiratory Support [EC] and Extension to Include Advanced Non-Invasive Ventilated ALS Subject Cohort [ANC] – NCT02238626
About the ALS Trial
MediciNova, in collaboration with Dr. Benjamin Rix Brooks, Director, Carolinas Healthcare System’s Neuromuscular/ALS-MDA Center, is currently evaluating MN-166 (ibudilast) in both early and advanced stage ALS patients. This ongoing trial is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study which includes a six-month treatment period followed by a six-month open-label extension. The study is evaluating several efficacy endpoints including functional activity (ALSFRS-R), respiratory function and muscle strength in subjects with ALS. The study plans to enroll sixty (60) ALS patients without NIV (Non-Invasive Ventilator) and an additional 60 ALS patients with NIV.
About ALS
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. The nerves lose the ability to trigger specific muscles, which causes the muscles to become weak. As a result, ALS affects voluntary movement and patients in the later stages of the disease may become totally paralyzed. Life expectancy of an ALS patient is usually 2-5 years. According to the ALS Association, there are approximately 30,000 ALS patients in the U.S. and approximately 5,600 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with ALS each year. Riluzole is the only pharmaceutical treatment approved for ALS, but it has limited efficacy.
About MN-166 (ibudilast)
MN-166 (ibudilast) has been marketed in Japan and Korea since 1989 to treat post-stroke complications and bronchial asthma. MediciNova licensed MN-166 (ibudilast) from Kyorin Pharmaceutical for potential utility in relapse-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Intellectual property was additionally established or obtained by MediciNova in progressive MS and other neurological conditions. MN-166 (ibudilast) is a first-in-class, orally bioavailable, small molecule phosphodiesterase (PDE) -4 and -10 inhibitor and a macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) inhibitor that suppresses pro-inflammatory cytokines and promotes neurotrophic factors. It attenuates activated glia cells, which play a major role in certain neurological conditions. Ibudilast’s anti-neuroinflammatory and neuroprotective actions have been demonstrated in preclinical and clinical study results and provide the rationale for its therapeutic utility in neurodegenerative diseases (e.g. progressive MS and ALS), substance abuse/addiction and chronic neuropathic pain.
About MediciNova
MediciNova, Inc. is a publicly-traded biopharmaceutical company founded upon acquiring and developing novel, small-molecule therapeutics for the treatment of diseases with unmet medical needs with a commercial focus on the U.S. market. MediciNova’s current strategy is to focus on MN-166 (ibudilast) for neurological disorders such as progressive MS, ALS and substance dependence (e.g. methamphetamine dependence, opioid dependence) and MN-001 (tipelukast) for fibrotic diseases such as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). MediciNova’s pipeline also includes MN-221 (bedoradrine) for the treatment of acute exacerbations of asthma and MN-029 (denibulin) for solid tumor cancers. MediciNova is engaged in strategic partnering and other potential funding discussions to support further development of its programs. For more information on MediciNova, Inc., please visit www.medicinova.com.
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