Patient Recruitment to Commence in IntelGenx's Phase 2a Montelukast VersaFilm™ Trial in Mild to Moderate Alzheimer's Disease

SAINT LAURENT, Quebec, Sept. 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- IntelGenx Corp. (TSX-V: IGX) IGXT (the "Company" or "IntelGenx") today announced that patient recruitment will commence for the Phase 2a study with Montelukast VersaFilm™ in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's Disease ("AD"). Two research sites (the Centre for Memory and Aging in Toronto, ON and True North Clinical Research in Halifax, NS) are being activated and will be open for patient enrolment as of September 26, 2018, with additional sites planning to initiate patient screening in the near future.

This randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled Phase 2a proof of concept study will enroll approximately 70 subjects with mild to moderate AD across eight Canadian research sites. The primary study objectives will be to evaluate the safety, feasibility, tolerability, and efficacy of Montelukast buccal film following daily dosing for 26 weeks.

"As treatment options are limited, and with no approved drugs being disease modifying, there is no question that AD remains an area of significant unmet medical need," said Dr. Horst G. Zerbe, President and CEO of IntelGenx. "Accordingly, if proven to be effective, Montelukast has the potential to be a truly impactful in the treatment of this terrible disease."

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. Montelukast is a CysLT1 antagonist; it blocks the action of leukotriene D4 (and secondary ligands LTC4 and LTE4) on the cysteinyl leukotriene receptor CysLT1 in the lungs and bronchial tubes by binding to it. This reduces the bronchoconstriction otherwise caused by the leukotriene and results in less inflammation. 

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 ' proprietary VersaFilm™ technology is especially suited for special needs patient populations, and the Montelukast VersaFilm™ product therefore offers many distinct advantages over tablets for Alzheimer's Disease 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 a recent Phase 1 study, 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:

Established in 2003, IntelGenx is a leading oral drug delivery company primarily focused on the development and manufacturing of innovative pharmaceutical oral films based on its proprietary VersaFilm™ technology platform.

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, established for the VersaFilm™ technology platform, supports lab-scale to pilot and commercial-scale production, offering full service capabilities to its clients. More information about the company can be found at www.intelgenx.com.

Forward Looking 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.

Each of the TSX Venture Exchange and OTCQX has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Source: IntelGenx Technologies Corp.

For more information, please contact:

Stephen Kilmer
Investor Relations 
(514) 331-7440 ext 232
stephen@intelgenx.com

Or

Andre Godin, CPA, CA
Executive Vice-President and CFO
IntelGenx Corp.
(514) 331-7440 ext 203
andre@intelgenx.com