Neuralstem Announces Initiation of Phase 2 Clinical Trial of NSI-189 in Ischemic Stroke


GERMANTOWN, Md., July 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Neuralstem, Inc. (Nasdaq:CUR), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of nervous system therapies based on its neural stem cell technology, today announced the initiation of a Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating NSI-566, the Company’s lead neural stem cell candidate, as a potential treatment for ischemic stroke.

Neuralstem announced the positive topline results of Phase 1 stroke study in the 2018 ISSCR (International Society for Stem Cell Research) abstract on June 23, 2018.

“The Phase 2 study, which will be a randomized, double-blind, controlled study, is based on the encouraging results from the open-label Phase 1 safety study.  It is intended to further test the safety and efficacy of NSI-566 to reverse paralysis in stroke patients with half of their body partially paralyzed,” said Dr. Karl Johe, Chief Scientific Officer of Neuralstem.

The trial will be taking place at Bayi Brain Hospital in Beijing, China, commencing on August 1, 2018.  Managing the trial will be James Li, Ph.D., Executive Vice President of Asia Operations of Suzhou Neuralstem Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Neuralstem, Inc., located in Suzhou, China.  Dr. Li has been made the Manager and a Registered Agent of Suzhou Neuralstem.

Neuralstem will be allocating US$3 million toward this trial.

About Ischemic Stroke

Ischemic strokes, the most common type of stroke, occur as a result of an obstruction within a blood vessel supplying blood to the brain. Approximately 15 million people worldwide suffer stroke of which it is estimated that 87% of all strokes are ischemic strokes. Post-stroke motor deficits include paralysis in arms and legs and can be permanent.

About Neuralstem

Neuralstem is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel treatments for nervous system diseases of high unmet medical need. The Company has two lead development candidates:

  • NSI-566 is a stem cell therapy being tested for treatment of paralysis in stroke, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and chronic spinal cord injury (cSCI). 

  • NSI-189, is a small molecule in clinical development for major depressive disorder and in preclinical development for Angelman syndrome, irradiation-induced cognitive impairment, Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, and stroke.

Neuralstem’s diversified portfolio of product candidates is based on its proprietary neural stem cell technology.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Information

This news release contains “forward-looking statements” made pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements relate to future, not past, events and may often be identified by words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “seek” or “will.” Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. Specific risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements include risks inherent in the development and commercialization of potential products, uncertainty of clinical trial results or regulatory approvals or clearances, need for future capital, dependence upon collaborators and maintenance of our intellectual property rights. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements. Additional information on potential factors that could affect our results and other risks and uncertainties are detailed from time to time in Neuralstem’s periodic reports, including the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and in other reports filed with the SEC. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements. 

Contact:

Argot Partners (Investor Relations)
212-600-1902
neuralstem@argotpartners.com