Athira Pharma announces publication of fosgonimeton preclinical results

Athira Pharma announced the publication of preclinical data demonstrating the neuroprotective, neurotrophic and procognitive effects of fosgonimeton, ATH-1017, in preclinical models. The article titled, "Fosgonimeton, a Novel Positive Modulator of the HGF/MET System, Promotes Neurotrophic and Procognitive Effects in Models of Dementia," was published online on December 20, 2022 in the peer-reviewed journal, Neurotherapeutics. In the publication, study authors concluded that treatment with fosgonimeton or fosgo-AM: Promotes the activation of the HGF/MET system in vitro and stimulates critical neurotrophic and neuroprotective pathways. Enhances synaptogenesis, synaptic strength, and neurite outgrowth in hippocampal neurons. Protects cortical neurons challenged with neurotoxic insults that contribute to neurodegeneration, including mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and excitotoxicity. Improves cognitive performance in models of cognitive deficits, including a scopolamine-induced amnesia model in rats and in a lipopolysaccharide-induced neuroinflammatory model of dementia in mice. "The data reported in the peer-reviewed publication suggest that fosgonimeton could protect against several common pathophysiologies seen in dementia and induce neurotrophic and neuroprotective effects, which further supports the ongoing clinical development of fosgonimeton in patients with neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease," said Mark Litton, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Athira Pharma. "These results, in combination with other recently reported data, strengthen our confidence in the potential for neuroprotective and disease-modifying effects of enhancing the HGF/MET neurotrophic system."