ENDECE Receives Additional U.S. Patent Covering NDC-1308 for Inducing Remyelination

MEQUON, Wis.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–ENDECE, LLC announced the issuance of an additional United States (U.S.)
patent protecting its lead investigational compound, NDC-1308, for
inducing the process of remyelination, the restoration of the myelin
sheath on demyelinated axons in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).
The newly issued patent, No. 9,364,486, entitled, “6-Substituted
Estradiol Derivatives for Use in Remyelination of Nerve Axons,”
specifically covers the use of NDC-1308 for inducing remyelination of
demyelinated axons in the brain and spinal cord, defects that are
commonly associated with disabilities in patients with neurological
diseases such as MS.
“In addition to strengthening ENDECE’s intellectual property portfolio,
this additional patent bolsters our position that remyelination is
possible in patients with MS, and will help advance the clinical
development programs for NDC-1308 and other potential treatments for
neurodegenerative diseases,” commented James Yarger, Ph.D., chief
executive officer of ENDECE, LLC. “In preclinical models, NDC-1308
readily crosses the blood-brain barrier and induces oligodendrocyte
progenitor cells to differentiate into mature oligodendrocytes, which
then synthesize and maintain the protective myelin sheath. Importantly,
these studies demonstrated NDC-1308, an estradiol analog, gained this
unique ability to induce remyelination while losing the estrogenic
characteristics of estradiol.”
The myelin sheath is an insulating envelope of myelin (a white, fatty
material, composed chiefly of lipids and lipoproteins) that surrounds
the core of axons and serves as an electrical insulator, allowing
signals to be transmitted rapidly from the nervous system to the rest of
the body. Demyelination is a process involving the loss of myelin,
followed by slowing and often stopping of the nerve signals. The
continuing demyelination of axons in patients with MS is often
associated with an increasing loss of function including impairments in
cognition, vision, and walking, as well as symptoms such as muscle
weakness, fatigue, and bladder and bowel problems. Remyelination can
restore conduction properties to axons, thereby restoring varying
degrees of neurological function. However, remyelination becomes
increasingly incomplete and eventually fails in the majority of patients
with MS, leading to more progressive forms of the disease. Whereas
currently available drugs for MS effectively slow advancement of the
disease from the initial relapsing remitting (RRMS) stage to its
secondary progressive (SPMS) stage, these agents only address the
inflammatory components of the disease and do not induce remyelination.
In addition to U.S. Patent No. 9,364,486, ENDECE has received patents in
Europe, Canada, Australia, China, and Singapore covering NDC-1308 for
inducing remyelination. To protect the novel chemical structure of
NDC-1308 and related compounds within the company’s proprietary compound
library, ENDECE has also been issued Composition of Matter and Use
patents in the U.S. and in major international markets.
About NDC-1308
NDC-1308 is a proprietary chemical entity designed to address
demyelination of the myelin sheath that occurs in patients with MS.
NDC-1308 is being developed for potential use either alone or in
combination with current MS therapeutics that slow the progression of
the disease. By dramatically up-regulating key genes in pathways that
induce oligodendrocyte progenitor cell (OPC) differentiation and myelin
synthesis, NDC-1308 repairs the demyelinated myelin sheath that is
believed to be the cause of the devastating symptoms of MS. In
preclinical models, the small molecule NDC-1308 has been shown to
readily cross the blood-brain barrier, allowing it to reach the tissues
in the brain and spinal cord where promoting myelin repair is needed.
ENDECE discovered NDC-1308 and owns the intellectual property
surrounding the compound. For more information, visit www.endece.com.
About ENDECE
ENDECE, LLC (ENDECE), founded in 2006, is a privately held
biopharmaceutical drug discovery and development company based in
Wisconsin. The company focuses on small-molecule compounds that control
key genes within specific signaling pathways as a platform for
discovering drugs capable of treating diseases for which there are no
cures. ENDECE’s scientists have created a proprietary library of
compounds having the potential to treat diseases such as multiple
sclerosis (MS) and Alzheimer’s disease.
ENDECE’s business strategy is to discover and develop drug candidates
through Phase 1 clinical studies and then secure a licensing partner
with expertise in all phases of clinical development and
commercialization. ENDECE is led by an experienced management team with
a proven ability to take drug candidates from discovery through clinical
studies.