CytRx Announces New Findings on Arimoclomol; Plans to Study Drug in Stroke

CytRx has announced positive results of animal stroke studies indicating that its lead drug candidate, arimoclomol, significantly accelerated the recovery of sensory and motor function in an experimental rat model of stroke, even when treatment was withheld for as long as 48 hours after stroke was induced.

Orally administered arimoclomol is currently in clinical evaluation as a treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Based on these results, CytRx will begin planning a potential Phase II clinical trial of arimoclomol in stroke patients.

"These new animal results show that arimoclomol has the potential to help patients recover from the devastating effects of stroke even if the drug is administered well after the actual stroke event," President and CEO Steven Kriegsman said. "Furthermore, arimoclomol's flexibility for delayed intervention may allow substantial penetration into the $58 billion stroke market because the 'race' to get the patient to an emergency room for treatment may not significantly limit its use, unlike other potential stroke drugs."

In the study, stroke was induced in rats by blocking blood flow to parts of the brain causing cerebral oxygen deprivation. The rats then received an oral dose of arimoclomol or control substance daily for 35 days, beginning either six, 12, 24 or 48 hours after the stroke was induced. Recovery from stroke was measured by monitoring sensory motor skills. While motor skills declined dramatically in all study rats immediately after the stroke was induced, those treated with arimoclomol recovered faster and more completely than the untreated ones, regardless of when treatment was initiated.

Arimoclomol is believed to function by stimulating a normal cellular protein repair pathway through the activation of "molecular chaperones." Most other stroke drug candidates do not repair the damage caused by stroke, but instead attempt to limit the initial damage caused by stroke, according to CytRx.