Profile
Allon Therapeutics Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing
the first drugs that impact the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Allon’s drug
davunetide has demonstrated human efficacy in amnestic mild cognitive impairment, a
precursor to Alzheimer’s disease, and schizophrenia-related cognitive impairment. Allon has
Phase II human efficacy programs pursuing large underserved markets: Alzheimer’s disease,
frontotemporal dementia, and schizophrenia-related cognitive impairment. The Company is
listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbol “NPC” (Neuro Protection
Company™) and based in Vancouver. For additional information please visit the Company’s
website: www.allontherapeutics.com.
Alzheimer’s disease
The first drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease came out in 1993. Since then, drugs have been developed that offer some symptomatic relief, but have no impact on the disease process or its progression. (Source: Paul Aisen, MD. Director, the Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study, U.S. National Institutes of Health. Professor, School of Medicine, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego.)
“The combination of the symptomatic impact shown in this clinical trial and Allon’s pre-clinical data showing an impact on plaques and tangles, the classic hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease, highlights the potential of davunetide as a disease-modifying therapy”.
(Donald Schmechel, MD. Adjunct Professor of Medicine (Geriatics), Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina. Medical Director, The Falls Neurological and Memory Center, Caldwell Memorial Hospital, Lenoir, North Carolina.)
Human efficacy
Allon has released positive results from a Phase IIa clinical trial that showed two daily 15 mg doses of davunetide delivered intranasally over 12 weeks of treatment resulted in statistically significant, dose-dependent and durable improvements on key endpoints that measure short-term recall and working memory — two types of memory that are clinically relevant in Alzheimer’s disease – in patients diagnosed with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease.
Allon’s Phase IIa human clinical data and animal study results, presented to the International Conference on
Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders (ICAD 2008), demonstrate that Allon’s lead drug davunetide is the first drug in
development to reduce the classic Alzheimer’s “tangles” pathology and also increase memory function.
Allon has also released positive top line results from a Phase IIa clinical trial showing that davunetide, has a positive impact on
the capacity of schizophrenia patients to carry out important activities in their daily lives. The study showed statistically significant
efficacy was achieved on the UCSD (University of California at San Diego) Performance-based Skills Assessment (UPSA). The
UPSA scale assesses the functional capacity of skills for daily living. In total, six domains were tested in staged tasks: medication
management, comprehension/planning, financial, communication, transportation, and household skills.
The UPSA scale has been recognised by drug regulators as an important co-primary endpoint in patients suffering from
schizophrenia-related cognitive impairment.
Reduces “tangles”, increases memory
In July 2008, Allon’s scientific presentations at the International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders (ICAD 2008) in Chicago demonstrated that the Phase IIa aMCI clinical trial data support the results of several studies in animals that show davunetide reduced the classic Alzheimer’s “tangles” pathology and also increased memory function.
