Pharmacological Advancements in Neuroscience Drug Discovery & Pre-Clinical Studies for Fragile X Syndrome to Identify Drug Candidates for Autism Therapies Lead Biotech Sector Research

In the search for neuroscience drug discovery treatments, Alzheimer's disease and specifically autism drug candidates, a few viable therapeutic approaches have come from research on neurological conditions such as fragile X syndrome. Biotech Companies in focus today are Neurotrope, Inc.

, CytRx Corporation

, Trovagene, Inc.,

, Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

, Abbot Laboratories

& Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

. Neurotrope, Inc.

today announced that Neurotrope BioScience, Inc., its wholly-owned operating subsidiary, has received a grant from the FRAXA Research Foundation, Inc. ("FRAXA") to fund a pre-clinical Fragile X Syndrome ("FXS") behavior study for its lead proprietary drug candidate, bryostatin, at FRAXA's purpose built laboratory located at the University of Chile in Santiago, Chile. FRAXA was founded in 1994 by three parents of children with FXS to support scientific research aimed at finding a treatment and a cure for this disease. FXS is the most common cause of inherited intellectual disability and the most common known genetic cause of autism or autism spectrum disorders. FRAXA funds grants and fellowships at universities all over the world and has funded more than $24 million in scientific research. Read the full NTRP Press Release at http://www.financialnewsmedia.com/profiles/ntrp.html Under the terms of the grant, FRAXA will provide full funding for a preclinical study to evaluate the behavioral effects of bryostatin-1 in a FXS mouse model. Bryostatin is a potent activator of Protein Kinase C (PKC), which Neurotrope believes is a viable therapeutic approach for the treatment of FXS. Preclinical research at the Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute (BRNI), which formed the basis for Neurotrope receiving Orphan Drug Designation for bryostatin, has suggested that treatment with bryostatin can mature synapses and increase the number of synaptic connections resulting in improved learning and memory. Neurotrope is developing bryostatin under a licensing agreement with BRNI. The Company was recently granted orphan drug designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for bryostatin in the treatment of FXS...