According to a story from Market Screener, the biopharmaceutical company MediciNova, Inc., recently announced its intention to begin a Phase 2/3 clinical trial for its product MN-166. MN-166, also known as ibudilast, will be tested as a potential treatment for degenerative cervical myelopathy. The trial will be conducted in close collaboration with the University of Cambridge.
About Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy
Degenerative cervical myelopathy is currently the most common cause of spinal cord damage or abnormality and normally occurs in older individuals. This progressive disease causes progressive degeneration to the spinal cord. Often, earlier changes to the spinal cord eventually progress to this disease. Symptoms of degenerative cervical myelopathy include weakness, loss of coordination, spasticity, loss of muscle integrity and strength, sexual dysfunction, and bowel/bladder problems. As a progressive disease, prompt treatment upon diagnosis is recommended for the best outcomes. There is currently no standard of care for the illness, but treatment approaches can include spinal injection and physical therapy. There are also a number of surgical approaches that are employed, but it has not been established which one works best, and there is also a lack of evidence for the efficacy of other treatments as well. To learn more about degenerative cervical myelopathy, click here.
New Treatments Necessary
The indecisive nature of the treatment approaches for degenerative cervical myelopathy highlights the need for new treatment options that have more substantial scientific backing. As the populations of developed countries age, it is likely that this disease will increase in prevalence. This trial will be grant funded by the National Institute for Health Research in the UK. MN-166 is not intended as a treatment to be used on its own, but would instead become part of follow-up care after spinal surgery.
The trial plans to enroll up to 350 patients. Treatment with MN-166 will begin a couple of months prior to surgery and then will continue after the operation.
MN-166 is not an entirely new therapy, but it has never been used in the treatment of degenerative cervical myelopathy. However, the drug has been on the market since 1989 in Japan and Korea. In those countries it is used to treat bronchial asthma and post-stroke complications.
