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Neuren Pharmaceuticals (ASX:NEU) manufactures NNZ-2951 for phase two trials

Health Care
ASX:NEU      MCAP $2.515B
23 September 2020 03:00 (AEST)

Therapy developer Neuren Pharmaceuticals (NEU) has started producing its treatment for an upcoming phase two trial.

The treatment, officially known as NNZ-2951, is being tested against Phelan-McDermid syndrome, Angelman syndrome and Pitt Hopkins syndrome. These are neurological disorders, characterised by “impaired connections and signalling between brain cells” in humans.

Neuren says the same manufacturer, which produced the treatment for its phase one NNZ-2951 trial, will create this larger batch.

“We have made excellent progress in the optimisation and scale-up of the manufacturing process for NNZ-2591,” Neuren CEO Jon Pilcher commented.

“This investment is another important stepping-stone towards the phase two trials in 2021, in which we aim to confirm the potential of NNZ-2591 to address the urgent unmet need in three serious childhood disorders,” he continued.

Neuren intends to begin its phase two NNZ-2591 study at some stage next year.

The pharmaceutical company, which is headquartered in Victoria, is currently developing two treatments to treat five neurological disorders.

These disorders, which often appear in early childhood, currently have no cure — meaning many of Neuren’s treatments have been fast-tracked by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or been awarded orphan drug designation in the U.S. and the E.U.

The healthcare stock’s flagship product, known as trofinetide, or NNZ-2566, is currently being tested as a treatment for Rett and Fragile X syndrome.

At this stage, the company is trialling trofinetide against Rett syndrome in a phase three study, while Neuren recently completed a phase two clinical trial, testing the drug against Fragile X syndrome.

Neuren shares ended the day in the grey, trading for $1.17 each at market close.

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