TARGACEPT BEGINS TRIAL OF TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION, ANXIETY

Targacept has begun a Phase I clinical trial of TC-2216, its product candidate for the treatment of depression and anxiety disorder. The trial is designed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of TC-2216 and to assess its pharmacokinetic profile. The trial is a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study, with sequential ascending single oral doses administered to healthy male volunteers.

TC-2216 is a novel compound discovered using Targacept's proprietary drug design platform known as Pentad. The compound targets specific neuronal nicotinic receptors (NNRs), a class of receptors found in the central nervous system that play a critical role in regulating nervous system activity. TC-2216 selectively inhibits the alpha4beta2 NNR to modulate the release of neurotransmitters that are involved in mood regulation.

In preclinical studies, TC-2216 showed greater potency than and antidepressant effects comparable to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and tricyclics, commonly used treatments for depression, as well as anxiety-relieving effects. Targacept currently plans to develop TC-2216 as an oral monotherapy.