Exploring Breakthroughs in Alzheimer's Treatment with Dr. Missling, CEO of Anavex Corp.

Exploring Alzheimer's Treatment and Prevention with Dr. Christopher Missling

In this episode of Open Forum in The Villages, host Mike Roth interviews Dr. Christopher Missling, President and CEO of Anavex Life Sciences. They discuss Dr. Missling's work in developing potential treatments for degenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. The conversation covers the concept of precision medicine, the current landscape of Alzheimer's treatment, and the promising drug blarcamesine, which aims to restore autophagy and regenerate neural cells. Dr. Missling shares insights into the challenges of treating Alzheimer's, the stages of their drug's approval process, and the importance of early and ongoing intervention. The episode highlights the need for a preventive approach to maintain brain health and the potential benefits of lifestyle changes like diet and exercise.

00:00 Introduction to Open Forum in The Villages
00:34 Meet Dr. Christopher Missling: President and CEO of Avavex Life Sciences
01:38 Understanding Precision Medicine
02:26 The Current Landscape of Alzheimer's Disease
05:00 Introducing Blarcamesine: A Potential Alzheimer's Treatment
10:26 The Importance of Early Treatment and Prevention
12:45 Lifestyle Tips for Prolonging Brain Health
16:47 Conclusion and Listener Engagement

Transcript

Dr. Christopher U Missling PDH, CEO of Anavex Corp.

 Exploring Breakthroughs in Alzheimer's Treatment with Dr. Missling

[00:00:00] Nancy: Welcome to Season seven of Open Forum in The Villages of Florida. In this show, we talk to leaders of clubs and interesting folks who live in and around The Villages. We also talk to people who have information vital to seniors. You will get perspectives of what is happening in The Villages, Florida area.

We are a listener supported podcast. There will be shout outs for supporters. 

[00:00:30] Mike Roth: This is Mike Roth on Open Forum in The Villages, Florida. I'm here today with Dr. Christopher Missling. He is the President of. and CEO of Avavex Life Sciences and has over 25 years of healthcare industry experience with large pharmaceutical and biotech industry.

Thanks for joining me, Christopher.

[00:00:52] Dr. Christopher Missling: Thanks for having me. 

[00:00:53] Mike Roth: Good. Christopher's work is dedicated to finding potential treatments. For degenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, as well as diseases in the autism spectrum. By utilizing precision medicine, Dr. Missling is working with a team to advance new potential convenient oral treatments with the inclusion of their respective stakeholders and groups.

Dr. Missling has an MS and a PhD in chemistry and an MBA from Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, 

Dr. Missling In that introduction I used a couple of words, which our audience needs to understand. What is precision medicine?

[00:01:41] Dr. Christopher Missling: Somebody has a certain feature and of genetic background or with a certain grows up with a certain feature that some have a very good response compared to others who don't have that feature. And in oncology it's mostly well known that expression but it's

Relatively new in central nervous systems.

But we have found very clear data and evidence that

also in central nervous systems and diseases of the brain. You can also apply

These precision medicine approaches, which means certain patients identified with a genetic background

Respond extremely well to the drug. 

[00:02:25] Mike Roth: Okay. And why don't you tell listeners the way you see it, what the current landscape of Alzheimer's disease is? 

[00:02:33] Dr. Christopher Missling: Ultimate disease is really very complex, and we should not underestimate this because we have been really good at advancing medicine in every field. We can replace hip, we can place a knee, we can, make surgery on kidneys and on lungs, and even on the heart, but the brain is the only organ where we just have not been able to get the way through because it's so complex. And, but there's a huge, need because Alzheimer's is directly correlating with aging. So the older you get, the more likely you get Alzheimer's. And 

we Also understand for that reason that we wanna stay sharp and be ourselves with dignity for a long life, and why we understand there's a huge unmet medical need still there because there are no drugs out there right now, which can help us in, addressing this horrible.

This is further highlighted by recent setbacks also from other companies, including large pharma companies with the GLP one.

agonist like Novo Nordisk, or an anti-tau injectable from Johnson, which both failed recently. And it shows a lack of upcoming pipeline and products potentially coming to market.

[00:03:53] Mike Roth: That was where the GLP one drugs failed to show any progress in halting or reversing Alzheimer's. Am I right?

[00:04:02] Dr. Christopher Missling: That's exactly right. Yeah.

There was not even a hint of improvement or even a hint of any change.

[00:04:07] Mike Roth: What do you think the outlook for finding a preventative or a cure for Alzheimer's is? 

[00:04:14] Dr. Christopher Missling: It makes it more difficult

And, but we have really I wanna point out that we have found a pro an a

Program in our approach that is more upstream to the pathology than previously. 

Identified, which is restoring what refer to, the body own ability to regenerate

cells which are impaired if they are getting down the. line of ophthalm pathology. And that process is called autophagy restoration. And our drug is able to restore this. And that is where we think that could be. A new approach emerging in this very difficult environment.

[00:04:57] Mike Roth: And why don't you tell our listeners what the name of that drug is? 

[00:05:00] Dr. Christopher Missling: The drug name is blarcamesine and it's an orally once daily tablet or pill, which would be taken once daily, orally. Very simple and convenient for the patient.

Convenient also for the families. for the caregivers. and the patient doesn't have to go

anywhere to to get it and it can be prescribed and shipped to the patient.

directly. And It's also convenient to the physician. Physician does not have to do

many Tests and does not have to coordinate does. But after one visit, he can prescribe this drug once it's approved, of course.

[00:05:35] Mike Roth: Sure. At what stage of studies or approval is it in? 

[00:05:39] Dr. Christopher Missling: So We completed a phase two slash three study. We are now in the process of discussing

with regulatory bodies around. the world how to proceed and what to do next with the data which we have. 

[00:05:50] Mike Roth: Okay. So if all goes well, when would your drug be generally available in the marketplace?

In the United States,

[00:05:58] Dr. Christopher Missling: We would not be able to tell unless we have had the discussion, which just is in the process

of starting. Probably a little bit later I can provide more information at this point as too early to tell.

[00:06:08] Mike Roth: So we're probably two to two to five years away.

[00:06:12] Dr. Christopher Missling: I don't want to give any estimate.

[00:06:13] Mike Roth: We don't know. Okay.

But you have something that's promising. What is likely the underlying mechanism. Of the Alzheimer's pathology. Here on this show, we have discussed a little bit about the APOE two, three and four genes and their role in the pathology or pro or progression of the disease.

What is your take on that?

[00:06:36] Dr. Christopher Missling: This is a very good point to naming these genes, because these genes are.

key for identifying patients who are declining quicker or get the the ultimate indication

of earlier age. And so it's very severe. And we have actually data with plaque amazin

showing that there is. A very good response for also those patients which have the four status, which is basically the risk gene for, and we know that the antibodies, for example the monoclonal antibodies which are injectable, don't respond to these four carriers and also have more severe side effects with this, up with four carriers. So the mechanism

is independent of that, and it's because it's restoring autophagy, the, what I refer to the self eating, the recycling of the neural cells and if this is impaired, which is not only in the pathology itself, but also it's a continuation decline of these capabilities of autophagy

as we age that means the earlier you would take the treatment you earlier, the earlier you would be able potentially to halt or reverse the the, sliding scale. of getting into this pathology.

[00:07:51] Mike Roth: Right there, there are a couple of FDA drugs approved now for the treatment of Alzheimer's, including Eli Lilly's donanemab,

[00:08:02] Dr. Christopher Missling: that's correct. donanemab, ? Yep.

[00:08:03] Mike Roth: The Eli Lilly's donanemab they're actually in trials now to prove or disprove whether or not administering it to patients before the on onset of Alzheimer's symptoms will delay or prevent Alzheimer's symptoms from appearing.

Do you think that's a reasonable approach? 

[00:08:24] Dr. Christopher Missling: The experiment is a regional approach, and we already demonstrated it

in animals, with our drug, like. Animals who get pretreated like a prevention, they never developed cognitive impairment at all while those who did not get the treatment placebo,

they get the impairment after they get Alzheimer so there was already demonstrated in animals. So this approach is a very good idea to do this. And we think that could be something also should be trialed also with our trial as with our drug as well, blarcamesine in humans eventually. I think that's a Very good approach. Yes. 

[00:09:00] Mike Roth: Good. Now we're gonna take a short break in here, an Alzheimer's tip from Dr. Craig Curtis.

[00:09:07] Dr. Craig Curtis: We now know that Alzheimer's disease starts about 20 years before the symptoms with the buildup of a toxic protein called amyloid. And so scientists have been on a quest to remove amyloid to see how it affects the disease. The medicine that was recently FDA approved to slow down symptoms in people with Alzheimer's disease memory problems.

Works by removing this substance called amyloid out of the brain. And now we're attempting to use those medicines to actually remove amyloid before someone develops symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, such as memory loss and forgetfulness. 

[00:09:48] Mike Roth: So that's in that 20 year period before the disease is obvious.

[00:09:53] Dr. Craig Curtis: That's right. Scientists now call it Alzheimer's Pathologic change versus Alzheimer's disease. We're saving the term Alzheimer's disease for when someone is actually experiencing symptoms due to Alzheimer's disease. 

[00:10:08] Warren: With over 20 years of experience studying brain health, Dr. Curtis's goal is to educate The Villages community on how to live a longer, healthier life.

To learn more, visit his website, craigcurtismd.com, or call 3 5 2 5 0 0 5 2 5 2 to attend a free seminar.

[00:10:24] Mike Roth: Thank you, Dr. Curtis. Now. Is your new drug a potential remedy because it will allow brain cells to regenerate.

[00:10:34] Dr. Christopher Missling: We believe that given that autophagy is not a spontaneous impairment, but is evolves over time, that it will be consistent with the stage where you are at. And we have showed in our trial that we have data. If you delay taking the drug by one year, then you will not

be able to get the benefit for those compared to who started this drug a year earlier. So you lose significant time. And we measured that right about almost, 20 months,

A little bit less than 20 months of quality of life you are losing if you are delaying taking the drug by, by too much time.

[00:11:21] Mike Roth: If I understand you're right, this drug is more of a preventative than a cure.

[00:11:27] Dr. Christopher Missling: I think the prevention is really the key because you keep the system running, it's can't keep

the engine running and so the engine to clean up. if you like the, it's like a cleanup rule in your brain. You keep them running and and keep it tidy so they never accumulate the toxic

Elements, which could then lead to Alzheimer

And that's best, the best way to describe it. And when you are never, clean up your house or your room or street, the more accumulates and that's harder to get rid of the trash.

And so the earlier you start, the better you are off. That's the best way to describe it 

[00:12:02] Mike Roth: And so your drug would be a lifelong treatment. Or is it something that you would have a one or two year course of and then that was all you'd need for the rest of your life?

[00:12:12] Dr. Christopher Missling: No, you would probably need it your lifelong and as I, as you said, you, we have the data. The earlier you start, the better off you will be. But you would take it every day. And some people take ne aspirin every day. So it's a bit like the, maybe the analogy.

[00:12:26] Mike Roth: But aspirin is very cheap. I can't imagine your job drug being as inexpensive as aspirin.

[00:12:32] Dr. Christopher Missling: We believe the pricing, we should not talk about this now, but the pricing would be determined fair. But it definitely will be less expensive

and More affordable. Than the monoclonal antibodies,

[00:12:43] Mike Roth: Oh, okay.

[00:12:44] Dr. Christopher Missling: Are out right now. 

[00:12:45] Mike Roth: What else could could you do to prolong, prolong life without Alzheimer's or dementia? 

[00:12:50] Dr. Christopher Missling: I think there are many things you can do since the disease is correlated with aging, everything you can do to get more vitality in your system. That means doing long walks or taking up sport activity, swimming, or other exercises. That is very beneficial, but also on the side of the nutrition

Helping a system to less eat processed foods

and more, cooking yourself at home or more a diet with less red meat, or less Processed

meat products. All of this in combination with. the vegetables and and other things like beans and nuts. These are all features which can help in addition to being also happy, the correlation that some people with more depressive symptoms or tendency of depression are more likely to get alzheimer disease. So being a. happy person, happy fellow is always a good argument and helps as well.

[00:13:49] Mike Roth: So that you're indicating that the Mediterranean diet or the mine diet would be good for people.

[00:13:56] Dr. Christopher Missling: I think so.

[00:13:57] Mike Roth: Oh, good. So lemme go one step further. What do you think of a veg, a pure vegetarian diet? Is that a positive extension of the Mind diet and your Mediterranean diet? Or is that, that going to too far of an extreme?

[00:14:10] Dr. Christopher Missling: I think that we know that we can eat everything, and that's what the human being is. So I would not make yourself a limit to certain features. I would just increase the variety. That is, would be my recommendation here. Nobody should be taking away. To deserve a nice chicken or a nice piece of meat or other things, which are once in a while nice to have.

I would just make the variety, the key point, and not a limitation on a certain direction of a diet.

[00:14:38] Mike Roth: Good. So is there anything else you'd like to add?

[00:14:40] Dr. Christopher Missling: I'd like to add that I think it's important to voice your opinion and speak up. I think patients have a right to speak up if they are in a situation where they need something urgently and patient have the right to get something if the drug is safe. And does not cause Aria like that comes in is doing to ask for it and speak with the physicians and let people know about it that this is in the pipeline and and this could be then helping to accelerate how to get to market.

[00:15:16] Mike Roth: Do you have any known side effects of your drug right now? 

[00:15:19] Dr. Christopher Missling: The only side effects, which was above the average was really one side effect, which was dizziness, and that was however mighty gable, or it was reduced significantly

by a longer titration. So in our trial, we had a very short titration period where this

dizziness showed up. More than 10%. And once we titrated it over a Longer period. Slower,

then this dizziness was less than 10%. It's The analogy of if you go to a bar and you order five shots and you drink them all sequentially in, within five minutes or less, you will probably get a quicker headache than if you take a cocktail and drink it over the entire duration of the evening.

[00:16:02] Mike Roth: that I 

[00:16:02] Dr. Christopher Missling: But the good. The good news is that dizziness is a sign that goes into the brain, and that's what you want because it's a brain disease, so you wanna have an effect, actually. So it's actually not a bad sign. But the good thing about this was those dizziness levels were very mild and only a short duration, a few days,

[00:16:20] Mike Roth: So if our listeners, want to follow up and follow the progress of your drug through its testing period, how do they do that? I.

[00:16:29] Dr. Christopher Missling: You can always follow up on our website, which is www.anavex.com, A-N-A-V-E x.com and that is the best way to follow us.

[00:16:42] Mike Roth: Good. Thank you very much Dr. Missling for being with us today. 

[00:16:45] Dr. Christopher Missling: Thank you. for having me, Mike.

[00:16:47] Mike Roth: This is Mike Roth. Listeners, I'm thrilled to share with you this podcast, which is my passion project, to bring knowledge, inspiration, and things you need to know about The Villages and the people living here. Be sure to hit the follow button to get the newest episode each week, or you can hit the purple supporter box.

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[00:17:38] Nancy: This is a shout out for supporters. Tweet Coleman, Ed Williams, Duane Roemmich, Paul Sorgen, and Dr. Craig Curtis at K2 in The Villages. We will be hearing more from Dr. Curtis with short Alzheimer's tips each week. If you know someone who should be on the show, contact us at mike@rothvoice.com. The way our show grows is with your help.

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