SAINT-LAURENT, Quebec, Feb. 09, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- IntelGenx Corp. (TSX:IGX) (OTCQB:IGXT) (the "Company" or "IntelGenx”), a leader in pharmaceutical films, today announced a research collaboration with Per Svenningsson, MD, PhD, of the Karolinska Institute, to plan and conduct a multicentre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study (the “Study”) to investigate the use of IntelGenx’s Montelukast VersaFilm^® for the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease (“PD”).

Dr. Svenningsson will serve as the Principal Investigator for the planned Study and will sponsor it through a 20 million Swedish Crowns grant (approx. $2 million USD) awarded by the Swedish Research Council, Sweden’s largest governmental research funding body. IntelGenx will supply Dr. Svenningsson with both active and placebo films to be used in the 18-month treatment regimen for study participants. Upon completion of the Study, IntelGenx will retain the intellectual property rights and use the findings to further develop its Montelukast VersaFilm^® program for Parkinson's disease treatment. The Study is currently expected to commence in the third quarter of 2023.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the most common movement disorders in elderly people and is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer's disease (“AD”).¹ It is a neurodegenerative disorder where misfolded alpha-synuclein-enriched aggregates, called Lewy bodies, are central in pathogenesis. No neuroprotective or disease-modifying treatments are currently available. The current standard treatment of PD motor dysfunction is based on the enhancement of dopaminergic transmission and involves the administration of L-dopa. Evidence from multiple patient studies and animal models has shown a significant immune component during the course of the disease, highlighting immunomodulation as a potential treatment strategy.² Montelukast is a CysLT₁ antagonist which decreases neuroinflammation by inhibiting CysLT₁. Early results have indicated its potential usefulness for the treatment of various neurodegenerative disorders like PD and AD.

“We believe that Montelukast VersaFilm^® has the potential to be disease-modifying, not only in AD, as is being currently investigated in the Phase 2a ‘BUENA’ clinical trial, but also in PD,” said Dr. Horst G. Zerbe, CEO of IntelGenx. “Dr. Svenningsson is professor of Clinical Neuroscience at the Karolinska Institute and investigates pathogenic mechanisms of PD. He has previously conducted a clinical study utilizing the tablet form of Montelukast in the treatment of PD, and we are excited that he will be leading this new clinical study with our proprietary oral film formulation of the drug.”

References

¹ Aarsland, D., Batzu, L., Halliday, G.M. et al. Parkinson disease-associated cognitive impairment. Nat Rev Dis Primers 2021: 7, 47.

² Wallin, J; Svenningsson, P. Potential Effects of Leukotriene Receptor Antagonist Montelukast in Treatment of Neuroinflammation in Parkinson’s Disease. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22, 5606

About Montelukast VersaFilm^®

Montelukast is a leukotriene receptor antagonist that was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1997 for the treatment of asthma and seasonal allergic rhinitis. IntelGenx is working to repurpose Montelukast as a therapeutic to treat neurodegenerative diseases by re-formulating the drug into an oral film-based product. IntelGenx's proprietary VersaFilm^® technology is especially suited for special needs patient populations, and the Montelukast VersaFilm^® product offers many distinct advantages over tablets for Alzheimer’s Disease and PD patients, including the avoidance and minimization of first-pass-effects, ease of administration, improved API bioavailability, lower dosing and toxicity, better acceptability and improved compliance.

In Phase 1 studies, IntelGenx demonstrated that an oral film formulation of Montelukast is safe and tolerable in healthy subjects, reduces the first-pass-effect and has a 52% higher bioavailability compared to the regular Montelukast tablet, demonstrating a clear advantage of delivering Montelukast via film. IntelGenx's oral film also crossed the blood-brain barrier, an essential feature for treating degenerative brain diseases.

About IntelGenx

IntelGenx is a leading drug delivery company focused on the development and manufacturing of pharmaceutical films.

IntelGenx’s superior film technologies, including VersaFilm^®, DisinteQ^™, VetaFilm^™ and transdermal VevaDerm^™, allow for next generation pharmaceutical products that address unmet medical needs. IntelGenx’s innovative product pipeline offers significant benefits to patients and physicians for many therapeutic conditions.

IntelGenx's highly skilled team provides comprehensive pharmaceuticals services to pharmaceutical partners, including R&D, analytical method development, clinical monitoring, IP and regulatory services. IntelGenx's state-of-the-art manufacturing facility offers full service by providing lab-scale to pilot- and commercial-scale production. For more information, visit www.intelgenx.com.

Forward-Looking Information and Statements

This document may contain forward-looking information about IntelGenx's operating results and business prospects that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Statements that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements about IntelGenx's plans, objectives, expectations, strategies, intentions or other characterizations of future events or circumstances and are generally identified by the words "may," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "could," "would," and similar expressions. All forward looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Because these forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, IntelGenx's actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in IntelGenx's annual report on Form 10-K, filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and available at www.sec.gov, and also filed with Canadian securities regulatory authorities at www.sedar.com. IntelGenx assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements.

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Andre Godin, CPA, CA
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