SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cortexyme, Inc. (Nasdaq: CRTX), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering upstream therapeutic approaches to improve the lives of patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and other degenerative diseases, today announced that the International Nonproprietary Naming Committee of the World Health Organization (WHO) has selected atuzaginstat (pronounced “a too za’ gin stat”) as the proposed International Nonproprietary Name, or pINN, for the company’s lead product candidate COR388. Atuzaginstat is an oral, twice-daily investigational medicine in late stage clinical development for Alzheimer’s disease that is designed to inhibit lysine gingipain, a virulence factor protease released by P. gingivalis.
“Atuzaginstat is a first-in-class small molecule with a novel mechanism of action. WHO’s INN Expert Group created a new suffix ‘-ginstat’ for designation of this and future gingipain inhibitors,” said Casey Lynch, Cortexyme’s chief executive officer, co-founder, and chair. “When a substance exhibits a novel mode of action, a new INN stem may be established. We look forward to potentially making atuzaginstat available as a disease-modifying therapeutic option for patients with Alzheimer’s.”
WHO’s INN Expert Group assigns simple, informative and unique nonproprietary names for drugs to allow for clear communication among health professionals and to identify chemical/pharmacological relationships.
About Cortexyme, Inc.
Cortexyme (Nasdaq: CRTX) is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering upstream therapeutic approaches designed to improve the lives of patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and other degenerative diseases. Based upon the evidence generated to date, Cortexyme is currently advancing its lead therapeutic candidate, atuzaginstat (COR388), in the GAIN Trial, an ongoing Phase 2/3 clinical trial in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. Cortexyme is targeting a specific, infectious pathogen found in the brain of Alzheimer’s patients and tied to neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation in animal models. To learn more about Cortexyme, visit www.cortexyme.com or follow @Cortexyme on Twitter.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release contain “forward-looking statements” that are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release may be identified by the use of words such as “anticipate,” “expect,” “believe,” “will,” “may,” “should,” “estimate,” “project,” “outlook,” “forecast” or other similar words. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements we make regarding our business plans and prospects, cash forecasts, the timing and success of our clinical trials and related data, ability to fund planned operating and capital expenditures, the timing of announcements and updates relating to our clinical trials and related data, the timing of and our ability to enroll patients into our clinical trials, and the potential therapeutic benefits, safety and efficacy of our product candidate or library of compounds. Forward-looking statements are based on Cortexyme’s current expectations and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and assumptions that are difficult to predict and could cause actual results to differ materially from what we expect. Further, certain forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include, but are not limited to, the risks and uncertainties described in the section titled “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 16, 2020, our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on May 12, 2020, and other reports as filed with the SEC. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of this date, and Cortexyme undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law.
