Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE Amex RNN), announced the results of a wideranging animal study offering more evidence that Serdaxin™ may be an effective therapeutic for the treatment of anxiety disorders in humans. Serdaxin is Rexahns leading anxiety and depression drug candidate, and is currently in Phase II clinical trials.
The research tested Clavulanic acid, the primary compound in Serdaxin, across three mammalian species hamsters, rats and cotton top tamarin monkeys and was carried out at the University of Massachusetts and the University of Wisconsin. Results of the study reveal that Clavulanic acid is highly potent, has a unique profile, and has antianxiety “activity unlike any of the commonly prescribed drugs used to treat anxiety disorders.”
The study (to be published in the journal of Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior in the August 2009 issue) “Clavulanic acid A competitive inhibitor of betalactamases with novel anxiolyticlike activity and minimal side effects ” found that Serdaxin exerts strong antianxiety and antidepression effects in all three animal species at low doses and without unwanted side effects.
Of particular interest, when the study compared Serdaxin to commonly prescribed psychoactive drugs (benzodiazepines), is that Serdaxin was found to have an extremely favorable profile. For example, Serdaxin was able to provide the desired antianxiety and antidepression effects without impaired motor activity and loss in learning and memory. Moreover, Serdaxin was able to achieve its desired efficacy at doses as low as 1/100th of conventional psychoactive drugs.
“This wideranging study offers further evidence that Serdaxin holds the promise to change the treatment paradigm for anxiety and depression,” said Dr. Chang H. Ahn, Chairman and CEO of Rexahn. “Conventional psychoactive drugs have slow onset of activity and major unwanted side effects, such as loss in memory, impaired motor activity, weight gain or lack of libido. Due to Serdaxins unique mechanism of action on the brain, it has the potential to become the first therapeutic capable of treating anxiety and depression without causing these negative side effects.”
About Serdaxin
SerdaxinTM is a potential market leading CNS neuroprotective agent and antidepressant. Among lead indications, we are investigating Serdaxin for depression in Phase II clinical trials. Serdaxin may achieve greater and broader therapeutic coverage, and appears to have no serious side effects such as nausea, vomiting, insomnia, weight gain, sexual dysfunction, cognitive deficit or motor impairment that are linked to existing antidepressant drugs. Serdaxin has wellestablished and excellent human safety. In preclinical studies, Serdaxin had onset of action in less than two days, whereas currently marketed drugs take several weeks. Based on its novel mechanism affecting both depression and neuroprotection, Serdaxin is a potential treatment for multiple CNS disorders such as Parkinsons disease (PD) and Alzheimers disease, where the patients suffer from neurodegeneration, and depression as a comorbidity. Rexahn has multiple clinical programs planned for Serdaxin including depression and anxiety disorders, Parkinsons disease, Alzheimers and neurodegenerative illnesses, neuroprotection and biodefense uses.
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