NEW YORK, May 28, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Anavex Life Sciences Corp. ("Anavex" or the "Company") (OTCQB:AVXL), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel drug candidates to treat Alzheimer's disease, other diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) and various types of cancer, announced today the appointment of Abraham Fisher, PhD, to its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). With nearly 40 years of experience in drug design and discovery, Dr. Fisher has taken lead compounds including AF102B (EVOXAC®, cevimeline HCl) from concept to approval. AF102B was the first muscarinic agonist approved for sale in the U.S. (2000) and in Japan (2001) to treat dry mouth in patients with Sjoergen's Syndrome. He is also the inventor of AF710B (renamed ANAVEX 3-71), the unique and promising preclinical Alzheimer's drug candidate for which we recently obtained exclusive worldwide rights.
Dr. Fisher is co-founding Chairman and President of the Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases Conference, is on the scientific review board of the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) and is a reviewer of the Alzheimer's Association (AA). He is named on 21 patents worldwide, is the author of numerous peer-reviewed papers and academic book chapters and is associate editor of Current Alzheimer Research. He also serves on the editorial board of Neurodegenerative Diseases and was on the editorial boards of CNS Drug Reviews, Japanese Journal of Pharmacology and Drug Development Research.
Currently Dr. Fisher is a visiting professor at the Department of Neurobiology at the Weizmann Institute in Israel. Previously he was senior scientist at the Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR) and held faculty appointments as adjunct professor in the Departments of Pharmacology and Psychiatry, Southern Illinois University and in the School of Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, University of Miami.
"I am delighted to welcome Dr. Abraham Fisher to Anavex's Scientific Advisory Board. His extensive expertise in Alzheimer's disease and drug development brings a wealth of knowledge to the Company, which I expect will directly aid in the clinical development of ANAVEX PLUS and our newly licensed compounds including ANAVEX 3-71, formerly known as AF710B. Invented by Dr. Fisher, AF710B is a mixed muscarinic and sigma-1 receptor agonist, which is related to the target drug combinations Anavex has focused on since inception," said Christopher U. Missling, PhD, President & Chief Executive Officer of Anavex.
"It is my privilege to join forces with Anavex, an innovative company with a promising program in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease," said Dr. Fisher. "I look forward to supporting Anavex in the development of its Alzheimer's pipeline and new therapeutics for patients with insufficient treatment options that lead to serious consequences."
About Anavex Life Sciences Corp.
Anavex Life Sciences Corp. (www.anavex.com) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development of novel drug candidates to treat Alzheimer's disease, other CNS diseases and various types of cancer. ANAVEX 2-73, an orally available drug candidate developed to treat Alzheimer's disease through potential disease modification, has undergone an initial Phase 1 human clinical trial and was well tolerated in doses up to 55mg. Results from preclinical studies indicate that ANAVEX 2-73 demonstrates anti-amnesic and neuroprotective properties. A highly encouraging synergistic effect has also been observed between ANAVEX 2-73 and donepezil (Aricept®). The combined therapeutic, called ANAVEX PLUS, produced up to 80% greater reversal of memory loss in Alzheimer's disease models versus when the drugs were used individually. Anavex is a publicly traded corporation quoted as AVXL.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release that are not strictly historical in nature are forward-looking statements. These statements are only predictions based on current information and expectations and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual events or results may differ materially from those projected in any of such statements due to various factors, including the risks set forth in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement and Anavex Life Sciences Corp. undertakes no obligation to revise or update this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.