Anavex Life Sciences has announced encouraging findings from the 48-week open-label extension of its
phase 2 study on ANAVEX2-73, also known as blarcamesine, in patients with
Parkinson’s disease dementia (PDD). The investigational agent has shown
significant efficacy and safety, meeting its primary and secondary objectives. 

The study faced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in a drug holiday for many
participants. Despite this, patients who continued treatment in the extension
phase demonstrated notable improvements in their clinical symptoms. Key metrics
included the Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale
(MDS-UPDRS) Parts II and III and the Clinical Global Impression-Improvement (CGI-I) scale. 

Christopher U. Missling, PhD, president and CEO of Anavex, expressed optimism
about the results. “The data suggests ANAVEX2-73’s potential capability to
slow and potentially reverse the life-altering symptoms of Parkinson’s disease,” he stated. 

In-depth analysis revealed a change of –2.25 in MDS-UPDRS total scores and a change of –0.7 in
CGI-I from baseline to week 48. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment and REM Sleep
Behavior Disorder Screening Questionnaire also showed mean improvements, indicating
the broad efficacy of the treatment. 

At the end of the double-blind period, high-dose blarcamesine had improved MDS-UPDRS total scores
by –10.98 points, compared to a worsening of 3.53 points in the placebo group.
This relative improvement of 18.9% over 14 weeks was statistically significant. 

The findings are particularly noteworthy given the small sample sizes and the delays in the
study timeline. Anavex Life Sciences plans to use these results to inform future studies, with
the next 6-month trial focusing on similar endpoints. 

This ongoing research by Anavex remains a beacon of hope for patients suffering from
Parkinson’s disease dementia, addressing an urgent unmet need in the medical
community. Read this article for more information. 

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