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AMPALEX Has Long-term Effects on Neuronal Function --------------------------------------------------------------------- WASHINGTON, Nov. 17, 1996 -- Cortex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: CORX) today announced that studies to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience being held here this week demonstrate for the first time that AMPALEX(TM) (CX516, BDP-12) induces persistent changes in the function of neurons that are active during memory formation. These changes at the cellular level correlate well with improved memory performance in laboratory tests. The studies were conducted by Cortex collaborator Dr. Sam Deadwyler at Wake Forest University's Bowman Gray School of Medicine. AMPALEX is the lead compound from a new class of chemical compounds, known as AMPAKINES(TM), that specifically enhance functioning of AMPA receptors in the brain. AMPA receptors are believed to be critical for the formation of certain types of memory and also play an important role in communication within and between different brain regions. Cortex is developing AMPAKINES for potential use in the treatment of deficits of memory and cognition due to Alzheimer's disease, and also for the treatment of schizophrenia. In the study presented at the meeting, researchers demonstrated that AMPALEX had persistent effects on memory. "CX516 was administered to rats every other day over a 16-day period. During that time, there was a progressive improvement in performance on a standard memory task," stated Gary A. Rogers, Ph.D., Vice President, Pharmaceutical Discovery at Cortex and a study co-author. "The improvement peaked at about 40 percent over control levels and persisted for seven days following the last administration of drug." Dr. Deadwyler also measured neuronal firing using electrodes implanted in the hippocampal area of the rats' brains. "Increases in the rate of firing of hippocampal neurons involved in the task exactly paralleled the improvement in performance on the memory task," Rogers reported. "This study marks a significant advance in our understanding of how AMPAKINES work," said Vincent F. Simmon, Ph.D., Cortex's President and Chief Executive Officer. "We have known for some time that these drugs enhance the functioning of AMPA receptors over the short time frames that are associated with firing of neurons. It now appears that these short-term effects lead to much longer-term changes in neuronal activity that are reflected in the behavior of the animal." Cortex, located in Irvine, California, is a neuroscience company focused on the development of drugs for the treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders. The primary programs at the Company are centered on the AMPAKINES, a family of novel compounds that enhance the functioning of the AMPA receptor. The AMPA receptor plays a key role in memory formation and is involved in most "excitatory" communication in the human brain. Cortex is developing AMPAKINES for potential use in the treatment of deficits of memory and cognition due to Alzheimer's disease and in the treatment of schizophrenia. The Company is also investigating the potential use of calpain inhibitors in the treatment of stroke and cerebral vasospasm. NOTE: This press release contains forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially, depending on a number of risk factors, including the risk that AMPAKINES may at any time be found to be toxic or ineffective for any or all of their proposed indications. As discussed in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings, the Company's products, including AMPAKINES, will require additional research and development, extensive clinical testing and regulatory approval, all of which are subject to various regulatory requirements and which can be lengthy. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ More "Top of the News" stories ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This site is maintained by [log in to unmask] Please contact us with any comments, problems or bugs. All contents Copyright (c) 1995 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved.