London, UK - 10th January 2017 - Autifony Therapeutics Limited (“Autifony”), which is pioneering the development of novel pharmaceutical treatments for serious disorders of the central nervous system, today announced positive findings from a Phase Ia clinical trial of AUT00206, a first-in-class Kv3 modulator in development for the treatment of schizophrenia, as well as the start of the first of two Phase Ib studies with the molecule.
The results of the Phase 1a study provide encouraging confirmation of human target engagement, and support progression of AUT00206 in schizophrenia. In particular, these biomarker findings provide the first clinical evidence for the hypothesis that modulating Kv3 channels has the potential to treat schizophrenia.
The Phase Ia study in healthy volunteers assessed the effects of AUT00206 on Mismatch Negativity (MMN) latency, which is of considerable interest as a central pharmacodynamic biomarker of sensory processing deficits in schizophrenia. MMN latency increases have been associated with cognitive deficits in patients with schizophrenia and mild cognitive impairment1,2.
AUT00206 was associated with a significant reduction in MMN latency eight hours after dosing on Day 1. There was also a correlation between individual Cmax values (maximum concentration of AUT00206 in blood plasma) and MMN latency, which approached statistical significance.