Tezampanel, TorreyPines Therapeutics' Lead Compound, Reduced Muscle Spasticity and Rigidity in Preclinical Study Conducted at University of California,...( Data Suggest Potential for T...),Health

Data Suggest Potential for Treating Motor System Disorders

LA JOLLA, Calif., Oct. 17 /PRNewswire/-- Tezampanel, a novel small molecule currently in clinical development by TorreyPines Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: TPTX) for the treatment of acute migraine headache, was shown in an independent study to be effective in reversing or preventing muscle spasticity and rigidity in a rat model of spinal ischemia. These symptoms are commonly seen in Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and other progressive motor system disorders caused by brain trauma or spinal cord injury.

In a study published in the October 17 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience, a team of international researchers found that tezampanel, identified in the study as NGX424, reduced muscle spasticity (stimulus-dependent increase in muscle tone) and rigidity (continuous stimulus-independent increase in muscle tone) in the hind legs of spinal ischemia-induced paraplegic rats. In humans with motor system disorders, muscle spasticity and rigidity, often combined with painful perception, can interfere with rehabilitation and daily activities.

The study was led by Michael P. Hefferan, Ph.D., and Martin Marsala, M.D., Anesthesiology Research Laboratory, Department of Anesthesiology, University of California, San Diego (UCSD). Neil Kurtz, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of TorreyPines Therapeutics, served as one of the study authors.

An AMPA/kainate receptor antagonist, tezampanel acts on glutamate receptors located in the brain and spinal cord. While essential to central nervous system function, excess glutamate production -- prompted by disease or injury -- can have pathological effects. In the study, tezam
'/>"/>