LEXICON GENETICS ANNOUNCES START OF LX6171 TRIAL

Lexicon Genetics has initiated a Phase I trial of LX6171, an orally administered small-molecule compound for cognitive disorders.

The trial of LX6171 is being conducted in normal healthy volunteers to evaluate LX6171's safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics. The trial is designed as a randomized, double-blind, ascending-single-dose study and is expected to involve approximately 40 subjects. This trial will be followed by a randomized, double-blind, ascending-multiple-dose study of similar size.

LX6171 is a selective and potent inhibitor of a novel membrane protein that is expressed exclusively in the central nervous system and is associated with synaptic vesicles and presynaptic membranes. It resulted from Lexicon's internal target and drug discovery efforts. In preclinical studies, LX6171 demonstrated improved learning and memory in healthy and aged mice. Lexicon is developing LX6171 for potential application in the treatment of cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, vascular dementia, attention deficit disorder and Fragile X syndrome.