Neurotech International Limited (ASX: NTI)

Rett Syndrome Patients Show Further Clinical Improvement After 20 Weeks of NTI164 Treatment


Neurotech International Limited (ASX: NTI) (“Neurotech” or “the Company”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical development company focused predominately on paediatric neurological disorders, today is pleased to report further clinical efficacy and the safety results for all 14 female paediatric patients who have now completed 20 weeks of daily oral treatment with NTI164 under the Company’s one year extension period of the Phase I/II clinical trial investigating the use of NTI164 in Rett Syndrome.

Key Points:

  • Further significant clinical improvements observed in Rett Syndrome patients after 20 weeks of daily oral treatment with Neurotech’s broad-spectrum cannabinoid drug therapy NTI164
  • Continued clinical improvement at 20 weeks (versus baseline) on four core Rett-domain anchors with 100% of patients (pts) improved (p<0.001) vs. 93% at wk 12 with 57% of pts “very much/much improved” (vs. 36% at wk 12)
  • Gold standard RSBQ measure of key Rett symptoms showed an improvement of 24% versus baseline (p<0.001), with no further improvement from week 12 to week 20 (p=0.08)
  • No diarrhoea, vomiting/nausea reported from 12 to 20 weeks and no weight loss with all 14 pts who commenced the Phase I/II clinical trial remaining on treatment
  • Durable clinical response, coupled with excellent safety provides strong rationale for long term administration of NTI164 for Rett Syndrome patients where new treatments are urgently required

Dr Thomas Duthy, Executive Director of Neurotech International said “We are pleased to see these patients continue to do very well on extended treatment with NTI164, with zero safety events recorded relating to diarrhoea and nausea/vomiting from week 12 to week 20 with zero weight loss recorded. Our safety and efficacy to 20 weeks is trending favourably when compared to the current FDA approved treatment, DAYBUE™ (trofinetide). Rett Syndrome represents an attractive market opportunity for NTI164, with a potential annual market opportunity of approximately US$2.0 billion. We are currently working with our clinical advisors and Professor Ellaway (our newly appointed Chief Medical Officer) on the design of a registration directed Phase III clinical trial.”

A caregiver of a patient in the NTIRTT1 trial commented after 20 weeks of treatment with NTI164“Increased use of eye gaze technology and increased ability to use the eye gaze accurately when making choices.”

Clinical Improvement Continues on NTI164

Clinical improvement was assessed by the clinician using the gold standard, Clinical Global Impression - Improvement (CGI-I), which measures how much the patient's illness has improved or worsened relative to a baseline state at the beginning of NTI164 treatment and ranges from 1 – “Very Much Improved” to 7 - “Very Much Worse”. A decrease in CGI-I score indicates improvement. Based on the CGI-I primary endpoint at 12 weeks Neurotech has four core domains of interest – communication skills, mental alertness, socialisation/eye contact and anxiety – which will likely form the basis of the CGI-I measures required for a registration-directed Phase III clinical trial of NTI164 versus placebo.

There was a statistically significant difference (improvement) in CGI-I in these four core domains at 20 weeks versus baseline; with a mean difference of -1.3 (p=<0.001), versus mean difference of -0.9 (p=0.001) at 12 weeks. Overall, the 20 week data showed an improvement of 33% versus baseline (compared to 23% improvement at 12 weeks). Between 12 to 20 weeks, there was an additional CGI-I improvement of -0.4, representing a significant, additional improvement of 13% (p=0.007), which continues the downward trajectory of clinical improvement overall.

At 20 weeks, 100% of patients showed improvement (versus 93% of patients at 12 weeks) with; 57% very much or much improved (versus 36% at week 12) as shown below.

The individual measures of CGI-I in the four core composite measures at 20 weeks all showed continued improvement from 12 weeks: Communication Skills (mean difference -0.2), Mental Alertness (mean difference -0.6), Socialisation/ Eye Contact (mean difference -0.3) and Anxiety (mean difference -0.3).

Rett Syndrome symptoms via RSBQ were stable

The Rett Syndrome Behavioural Questionnaire (RSBQ) consists of 8 domains/subscales that reflect the core features of the disease: General Mood; Breathing Problems; Hand Behaviours; Repetitive Face Movements; Body Rocking and Expressionless Face; Nighttime Behaviours; Fear/Anxiety; and Walking/Standing.

At 20 weeks, patients receiving NTI164 showed a clinically meaningful 24% improvement in total RSBQ score versus baseline (p<0.001). There was no further improvement in RSBQ scores between week 12 and week 20 with RSBQ measures relatively stable (mean difference 2.9, p=0.08). At commencement the average RSBQ total score for the patients was 44.6 compared to 31.2 at 12 weeks and 34.1 at 20 weeks.


Click here for the full ASX Release

This article includes content from Neurotech International Limited licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.

NTI:AU
The Conversation (0)

BMO Expands Canadian Depositary Receipt Lineup with 10 New Listings from Europe and Japan

BMO's CDRs offer enhanced portfolio diversification opportunities for Canadian investors enabling them to hold shares in international companies that trade on a Canadian exchange in Canadian dollars

Bank of Montreal (BMO) announced 10 new CDRs will begin trading on the Cboe Canada exchange today. The initial offering of these new CDRs has closed.

News Provided by PR Newswire via QuoteMedia

Keep reading...Show less
Two people wearing lab coats shake hands in business agreement.

What is In-Licensing?

When it comes to investing in pharmaceutical companies, looking at pipelines and research and development prospects is important. But in-licensing is also key when examining these stocks.

In fact, in-licensing deals might be the pharmaceutical industry’s preferred mode of business development these days — perhaps even more so than M&A activity. These agreements can prove to be very fruitful for companies and their share prices.

The in-licensing strategy is likewise attractive to investors, as in-licensing drugs expedites corporate development while also mitigating risk. So let’s clear up some common questions around the strategy. The article below runs through what it means to in-license a drug and how in-licensing differs from an acquisition. It also covers how royalties affect returns. It’s key for investors to be aware of these intricacies so that they can interpret a firm’s actions correctly and elect to buy or sell at the right time.

Keep reading...Show less
Test tubes.

Amgen, Merck and Pfizer Release Latest Quarterly Earnings, Share 2025 Plans

Earnings season is in full swing in the pharma sector with major players sharing their latest results.

On Tuesday (February 4), Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN), Merck (NYSE:MRK) and Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) released financial results for the most recent quarter, providing critical data points for evaluating investment potential.

Keep reading...Show less
A variety of pills on top of US money.

Johnson & Johnson to Expand Neuroscience Portfolio with US$14.6 Billion Acquisition

Pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J) (NYSE:JNJ) has announced plans to acquire Intra-Cellular Therapies (NASDAQ:ITCI) in a US$14.6 billion deal, marking the largest acquisition for the sector in over two years.

The purchase, which is expected to close later this year pending regulatory and shareholder approvals, will give J&J access to Intra-Cellular's portfolio of treatments for neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders.

This includes Caplyta (lumateperone), an oral therapy for schizophrenia and bipolar depression that has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. Net product sales for Caplyta came in at US$175.2 million in the Q3 2024, a 39 percent increase year-on-year, with Intra-Cellular raising its annual guidance to US$665 million to US$685 million.

Keep reading...Show less
Scientist with petri dish.

Pharma Market Forecast: Top Trends for Pharma in 2025

The pharmaceutical industry is poised for a dynamic year in 2025. A confluence of positive trends suggests a brighter outlook ahead after declining earnings in recent years.

According to ZS consultant Cody Powers, lower interest rates could increase investment in biopharma, boosting research and development (R&D) into promising new indications, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and clinical trials.

Industry executives polled for Deloitte’s 2025 life science outlook anticipate revenue growth and margin expansion, leading to increased investment in key therapeutic areas such as oncology, immunology, neurology and, of course, treatments for obesity and diabetes. This renewed focus on innovation, coupled with a changing regulatory environment, is expected to drive interest in the sector that could reshape the competitive landscape.

Keep reading...Show less
Large pharmaceutical pill with gold dollar sign in the middle. Stock tickers and charts in the background.

Top 5 Small-cap Pharma Stocks (Updated January 2025)

Today's pharmaceutical market is facing the challenges of inflation, government-imposed drug price caps and waning demand for COVID-19 vaccines. However, the industry's major underlying drivers — higher rates of cancer and chronic disease — are still at play and not expected to dissipate.

The US reigns supreme in the pharma market, both in terms of drug demand and development. In 2024, 50 novel medicines were approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), compared to 55 such approvals in 2023. Last year's FDA approvals include Eli Lilly and Company's (NYSE:LLY) Alzheimer's disease treatment Kisunla.

Big pharma largely stole the show in 2024, but some small- and mid-cap NASDAQ pharma stocks also made gains.

Keep reading...Show less

Latest Press Releases

Related News

×