Pittsburgh, Sept. 10, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cognition Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical stage neuroscience company focused on the protection and restoration of synaptic function in Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders, today announced that the company’s co-founder and chief science officer, Susan Catalano, Ph.D. will present an update on the Company’s lead candidate, Elayta™, at the 20th International Conference on Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) on September 17, 2019.

Elayta (CT1812), Cognition’s lead candidate for the treatment of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease. is currently being investigated in a comprehensive Phase 2 program that includes the SPARC, SNAP and SHINE studies. These studies are designed to test aspects of Elayta’s disease modifying effect, target engagement and clinical efficacy, and are supported by grants from the National Institute on Aging at NIH and other organizations including the ADDF.

In her presentation, Dr. Catalano will review recent findings including the impact of Elayta on certain proteins and lipids that are known to be dysregulated in Alzheimer’s disease. Among these were fragments of neurogranin and synaptotagmin, proteins known to be associated with synaptic damage, that were decreased in CSF at day 28 relative to baseline in Elayta-treated compared to the placebo group, as well as more recent findings relating to the impact of Elayta on phosphorylated tau. The analysis of phosphorylated tau, which was recently presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Convention, (Schneider L, et al. (2019, July) Clinical biomarker evidence for target engagement, reduction of synaptic damage and disease modification in Alzheimer’s patients treated with CT1812. AAIC poster session), provided the first clinical evidence that displacing Aβ oligomers from their synaptic binding site may have a broad downstream impact on tau phosphorylation, which has been implicated in axonal and synaptic damage in Alzheimer's disease.

“When exploring funding opportunities, ADDF looks for institutions developing novel therapeutic approaches or pursuing biomarkers of diagnostic, cognitive or functional import,” added Howard Fillit, M.D., the ADDF founding executive director and chief science officer. “Cognition Therapeutics’ development program incorporates all of these aspects, which motivated our ongoing support of the company’s efforts to advance Elayta. We look forward to Dr. Catalano’s presentation next week and to continuing to follow the company’s progress as they advance Elayta through development.”

About Cognition Therapeutics, Inc.
Cognition Therapeutics is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing small-molecule therapeutics that address the toxic oligomeric proteins that cause synapse degeneration and trigger neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Cognition’s lead candidate, Elayta™, is a novel first-in-class, orally available small molecule that has shown the potential in initial clinical studies to normalize protein trafficking and lipid metabolism pathways that are disrupted in Alzheimer’s disease and to allow the protection and restoration of synapses. Elayta is currently being tested for the treatment of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease in three Phase 2 clinical studies: SPARC (Synaptic Protection for Alzheimer’s Restoration of Cognition); SNAP (AβO Displacement from Synapses on Neurons in Alzheimer’s Patients); and SHINE (Synaptic Health and Improvement of Neurological Function with Elayta). These studies are supported by grants (award numbers RF1AG057780, RF1AG057553 and R01AG058660) from the National Institute on Aging of the NIH. Elayta has been granted Fast Track designation by the U.S. FDA.

Elayta and Cognition’s other pipeline candidates were identified using the company’s disease-relevant screening and novel chemistry platforms. Additional information about Cognition and its product candidates may be found online at http://www.cogrx.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” concerning the development and commercialization of Cognition’s products, the potential benefits and attributes of such products, and Cognition’s expectations regarding its prospects. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause actual future events or results to differ materially from such statements. These statements are made as of the date of this press release. Actual results may vary. Cognition undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements for any reason.