US signs up for NZ brain drug

A pioneering Auckland company has signed a deal with the United States Army to take a brain injury repair drug to human trials.

Neuren Pharmaceuticals has signed a development agreement with the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, giving hope to millions worldwide affected by brain disease and injury.

The small molecule, NNZ-2566, developed under the leadership of Professor Peter Gluckman, holds potential for treatment of brain injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease.

Dr Gluckman said the value of the agreement was incalculable "for the simple reason that the US Army is probably the leading trauma research centre in the world and so we've got access to some of the world's leading scientists".

He said the US Army had good reason to be one of the world's largest medical research organisations.

"One would assume that the army gives priority to trauma research because the reality is unfortunately that's what happens to soldiers both in training and on the battlefield."

Neuren said 1.5 million head injuries in the US each year represented a market worth more than US$1 billion ($1.35 billion).

The intended commercial rights would give the US Army access to the drug without paying royalty. Neuren would own the remaining worldwide rights, including New Zealand.

The Head Injury Society of New Zealand says about 170 New Zealanders are hospitalised with head injuries every week.

Combined with the facts that in New Zealand one in 500 people suffers from Parkinson's and about 4000 suffer from multiple sclerosis, many New Zealanders will be keeping a close eye on progress.

Successful pre-clinical tests on rats showed 50 per cent less brain inflammation and a 50 per cent improvement in physical co-ordination following treatment for head trauma.

Rats received a controlled head injury and were fed the drug intravenously over several hours.

Physical tests were used to measure the rats co-ordination and the dramatic improvement was visible within three days.

"You put some food at the end of a rounded bar and you get the rat to walk over the bar ... it's a bit like walking a tightrope," Dr Gluckman said.

Walter Reed will conduct further tests to refine dosage, length of infusion and safety. A statement of intent for joint clinical trials following success could lead to human safety trials by December.

Dr Gluckman hopes full human clinical trials will take place by the middle of next year.

Neuren will research and manufacture the drug, and Walter Reed will be responsible for conducting experiments to confirm how well it works.

Neuren was formed by the merger of University of Auckland spin-off companies NeuronZ and EndocrinZ and was listed on the Australian Stock Exchange last month.

How it works

* The drug stops the progressive inflammation and brain cell damage that happens in the days after a head injury.

* For acute injury, drugs would be given intravenously; for other conditions a tablet form may be developed.