Resverlogix Establishes Clinical & Scientific Advisory Board

Resverlogix Corp. has announced the formation of a clinical & scientific advisory board to support the clinical development of its lead drug candidate RVX-208 and follow-on bromodomain inhibitors in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment and other dementias.

The board, chaired by Dr. Bengt Winblad, will provide insight and guidance on all aspects of the development program.

"We believe cardiovascular and neurodegenerative health is linked by lipoproteins such as Apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I)," said Dr. Jan Johansson, senior vice president of medical affairs at Resverlogix.

Dr. Johansson continued, "A clinical program will further our understanding of how RVX-208, an epigenetic BET bromodomain inhibitor which increases production of Apo A-I, may affect neurodegenerative diseases such as early dementia or mild cognitive impairment."

Donald McCaffrey, president and chief executive officer of Resverlogix, added, "RVX-208 is the first BET bromodomain inhibitor that has emerged from Resverlogix' epigenetic drug discovery platform and moved into the clinic. It is currently in Phase 2b clinical development in patients with high-risk cardiovascular disease and we are eager to evaluate it and our other BET inhibitor compounds in other disease states."

Bengt Winblad, M.D., Ph.D., professor of geriatric medicine and chief physician at the Karolinska University Hospital, said, "Recent studies are providing evidence of the link between poor cognition, memory and low levels of cardio-protective factors such as ApoA-I. I am looking forward to working with Resverlogix and studying RVX-208 in patients with neurodegenerative diseases."

Resverlogix plans to initiate a Phase 2 trial of RVX-208 in patients with mild cognitive impairment in the second half of 2013.

Appointed members of the clinical & scientific advisory board include:
Bengt Winblad, M.D., Chairman: Dr. Winblad is professor of geriatric medicine and chief physician at the Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge and the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.

Professor Winblad is co-chair of the European Alzheimer Disease Consortium (EADC) and chairs the Medical Scientific Advisory Panel of the Alzheimer Disease International (ADI). In 2009, Dr. Winblad was ranked the world's most prolific researcher in the Alzheimer's disease field (J Alzheimer's Disease 2009).

Jeff Cummings, M.D., Sc.D.: Dr. Cummings is director of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas and Cleveland. Dr. Cummings received the Ronald and Nancy Reagan Research Award from the National Alzheimer's Association in 2008.

Henrik Zetterberg, M.D., Ph.D.: Dr. Zetterberg is professor of neurochemistry at the University of Gothenburg. He was a Fulbright Scholar and research fellow in neurology at the Harvard Institutes of Medicine, Boston between 2004 and 2005. Dr. Zetterberg is an established leader in the field of neurochemistry, biomarkers and diagnostics.

Rada Koldamova, M.D., Ph.D.: Dr. Koldamova is an associate professor and lead researcher at the School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh's Koldamova & Lefterov lab. Her interest is in cellular and molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration, the role of ABCA1 transporter and apolipoproteins A-I and E in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.