NEUROKIN receives support from ANR on its STROKININ project
NEUROKIN announced that it has received the support from the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR) on its STROKININ project aiming at improving the development of NK-102, its most advanced neuroprotective drug for the treatment of stroke. This 36 months duration project with a global budget of € 1.5 million is supported by a grant of € 813 K€ with 350 K€ attributed to Neurokin. This project coordinated by Mrs Bénédicte MENN, co-founder of Neurokin, constitutes a partnership agreement between Neurokin and two INSERM units. The U919 unit belonging to the GIP Cyceron in Caen (west of France) provides pharmacological expertise especially on non-human primates, as well as in brain imaging. INSERM U615 supplies specific know how in genetics and functional genomics. For its part, Neurokin supports coordination, additional studies of pharmacology in rats and regulatory development both internally and externally, based on its unique expertise around the NK molecules.
In an area where medical needs are very important and where the pharmaceutical industry has experienced many failures in clinical stage, this project will strengthen Neurokin’s original approach in neuroprotection. The proof of concept already obtained by the Company on the NK-102 will be deepened and a translational approach to development will be implemented. This will allow dealing with clinical development in 2012, using the necessary tools for the selection and monitoring of patients intended for the establishment of proof of concept in humans in Phase II.
The neuroprotective efficacy of NK-102 is based on its dual mechanism of action. After a brain injury NK-102, firstly blocks neuronal apoptosis and also reduces inflammation by inhibiting the proliferation of glial cells. The Company has already provided proof of concept of the neuroprotective properties of NK-102 in animal models on stroke and epilepsy.
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