Nicotinic Alpha-7 Agonists
Memory Pharmaceuticals has developed and advanced a family of novel nicotinic alpha-7 receptor partial agonists with robust activity in a number of preclinical models and with beneficial pharmaceutical profiles. The neuronal nicotinic alpha-7 receptor, found primarily in the brain, has a number of properties that suggest it may play a unique role in neuronal function, including synaptic plasticity and cytoprotection. In addition, stimulation of the alpha-7 receptor has been found to increase key neurotransmitters in areas of the brain involved in cognition. We have two candidates from this program in clinical development: R3487/MEM 3454 and R4996/MEM 63908.
In August 2003, we entered into a collaboration with Roche to develop nicotinic alpha-7 agonists.