MELBOURNE, Australia and SAN
FRANCISCO , Oct. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Alterity
Therapeutics (ASX: ATH, NASDAQ: ATHE) ("Alterity" or "the
Company"), a biotechnology company dedicated to developing disease
modifying treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, today
announced a poster presentation from the ongoing Biomarkers of
Progression in Multiple System Atrophy (bioMUSE) natural history
study was given at the 147th Annual Meeting of the
American Neurological Association (ANA) on October 24, 2022. For over 140 years, the ANA has
been the premier professional society of academic neurologists and
neuroscientists devoted to understanding and treating diseases of
the nervous system.
The presentation evaluated different methods of measuring the
volume of brain structures affected in individuals with Multiple
System Atrophy (MSA) and Parkinson's' disease versus healthy
controls. The poster, entitled Deep Learning Segmentation
Improves Precision of Volume Assessment of Subcortical Structures
in early MSA, evaluated the accuracy of MRI scans on three
different areas of the basal ganglia section of the brain utilizing
three different techniques.
"Our bioMUSE natural history study continues to produce
meaningful data to guide our Phase 2 trial by providing valuable
insight into the diagnosis and biomarkers of MSA," said
David Stamler, M.D., Chief Executive
Officer, Alterity. "In particular, the poster presented at ANA
found meaningful differences in methods to measure brain volume in
MSA patients. This work will allow for greater precision in
defining affected brain structures, an essential step for
quantifying changes in MSA, such as tissue atrophy and iron
deposition."
The study enrolled 21 individuals with early stage MSA based on
neurological assessment. The study concluded that deep-learning
segmentation, a form of artificial intelligence, outperforms the
commonly used methods FSL-FIRST and Joint Label Fusion for
analyzing brain MRI scans in MSA patients. This improvement was
observed in subcortical brain regions with notable MSA pathology.
MSA-related pathological changes hinder the precision of automatic
segmentation from FSL-FIRST. In addition, in early MSA, significant
reductions in putamen and pallidum volume were observed compared to
healthy controls, and in pallidum volume compared to Parkinson's
disease.
About ATH434
Alterity's lead candidate, ATH434, is an oral agent designed to
inhibit the aggregation of pathological proteins implicated in
neurodegeneration. ATH434 has been shown preclinically to reduce
α-synuclein pathology and preserve nerve cells by restoring normal
iron balance in the brain. As an iron chaperone, it has excellent
potential to treat Parkinson's disease as well as various
Parkinsonian disorders such as Multiple System Atrophy (MSA).
ATH434 successfully completed Phase 1 studies demonstrating the
agent is well tolerated and achieved brain levels comparable to
efficacious levels in animal models of MSA. ATH434 has been granted
Orphan designation for the treatment of MSA by the U.S. FDA and the
European Commission.
About bioMUSE
Biomarkers of progression in Multiple System Atrophy (bioMUSE)
is an ongoing, natural history study that aims to track the
progression of patients with MSA, a Parkinsonian disorder without
approved therapy. The study is being conducted in
collaboration with Vanderbilt
University Medical Center in the U.S. under the direction of
Daniel Claassen, MD, Associate
Professor of Neurology and Principal Investigator. Natural history
studies are important for characterizing disease progression in
selected patient populations. The study has provided rich data for
optimizing the design of Alterity's Phase 2 clinical trial and will
be expanded to include a total of 20 patients with MSA. The ongoing
study will continue to provide vital information on early stage MSA
patients, inform the selection of biomarkers suitable to evaluate
target engagement and preliminary efficacy, and deliver clinical
data to characterize disease progression in a patient population
that mirrors those to be enrolled in the Phase 2 clinical
trial.
About Multiple System Atrophy
Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) is a rare, neurodegenerative
disease characterized by failure of the autonomic nervous
system and impaired movement. The symptoms reflect the progressive
loss of function and death of different types of nerve cells in the
brain and spinal cord. It is a rapidly progressive disease and
causes profound disability. MSA is a Parkinsonian disorder
characterized by a variable combination of slowed movement and/or
rigidity, autonomic instability that affects involuntary functions
such as blood pressure maintenance and bladder control, and
impaired balance and/or coordination that predisposes to falls. A
pathological hallmark of MSA is the accumulation of the
protein α-synuclein within glia, the support cells of the central
nervous system, and neuron loss in multiple brain regions. MSA
affects approximately 15,000 individuals in the U.S., and while
some of the symptoms of MSA can be treated with medications,
currently there are no drugs that are able to slow disease
progression and there is no cure.[1]
[1]National
Institute of Health: Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Multiple
System Atrophy Fact Sheet
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About Alterity Therapeutics Limited
Alterity Therapeutics is a clinical stage biotechnology company
dedicated to creating an alternate future for people
living with neurodegenerative diseases. The Company's lead
asset, ATH434, has the potential to treat various Parkinsonian
disorders. Alterity also has a broad drug discovery platform
generating patentable chemical compounds to intercede in disease
processes. The Company is based in Melbourne, Australia, and San Francisco, California, USA. For further
information please visit the Company's web site at
www.alteritytherapeutics.com.
Authorisation & Additional information
This
announcement was authorized by David
Stamler, CEO of Alterity Therapeutics Limited.
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SOURCE Alterity Therapeutics