NeurAegis Announces Publication of Preclinical Animal Data Supporting Calpain-2 as a Promising Therapeutic Target for Status Epilepticus

SOUTHBOROUGH, Mass., Feb. 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- NeurAegis, Inc., a neuropharmaceutical company pioneering the development of breakthrough treatments for neurological disorders, today announced the publication of a paper titled “Calpain-2 Activation in Mouse Hippocampus Plays a Critical Role in Seizure-Induced Neuropathology” in the peer-reviewed journal Neurobiology of Disease. This publication highlights the scientific rationale for selectively inhibiting calpain-2 to prevent the development of serious pathological consequences associated with epilepsy including neuronal degeneration, brain inflammation and cognitive impairment.

“We employed a mouse model of status epilepticus (SE), which reproduces several features of epilepsy, to demonstrate that calpain-2 genetic deletion or blockade with NeurAegis’ novel calpain-2 inhibitor significantly limits brain inflammation and neurodegeneration after SE,” said Dr. Michel Baudry, Professor of Neuroscience at Western University of Health Sciences and scientific co-founder of NeurAegis. Dr. Baudry added, “Status epilepticus is the most extreme form of epilepsy and has a relatively high mortality rate. These data provide further support for the development of our novel calpain-2 inhibitor to address this serious unmet medical need.”

The studies reported in the publication were performed in the Baudry Lab at Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA. Dr. Baudry and his team have been investigating the roles of calpain-1 and calpain-2 in the brain over the past 30 years. His groundbreaking research has shown that calpain-2 activation plays a major role in acute neurodegeneration found in multiple neurological disorders including traumatic brain injury and epilepsy.

About Status Epilepticus
Status epilepticus is a life-threatening medical condition associated with significant mortality. SE is defined as a seizure lasting more than 5 minutes, or two or more seizures without full recovery between any of them. SE may occur in association with a history of epilepsy or underlying brain trauma, infection, or stroke and may lead to permanent brain damage or death. There are currently no FDA approved medications that provide neuroprotection after SE.

About NeurAegis, Inc.
NeurAegis, Inc. is a preclinical stage neuropharmaceutical company pioneering the development of breakthrough treatments for neurological disorders including TBI, epilepsy, mild cognitive impairment and acute glaucoma. We have assembled a leadership team with deep, relevant experience for developing novel therapeutics that address large unmet needs for people with neurological disorders. For more information, please visit www.neuraegis.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

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SOURCE NeurAegis, Inc.