H. Lundbeck A/S, a global pharmaceutical company specialized in psychiatric and neurological disorders, starts the clinical development of a potential new treatment of schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease. A phase I-study in healthy volunteers with the compound, invented by Lundbeck, has just begun, adding it to Lundbeck's clinical pipeline.

A so-called PDE1-inhibitor, the compound Lu AF76432 addresses impaired communication between cells in certain parts of the brain that causes cognitive/functional deficits, e.g. the loss of concentration, loss of memory, the ability to learn and planning of daily tasks. Such cognitive symptoms are prominent in diseases like schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease, and Lu AF76432 has the potential to help ease these symptoms in patients suffering from these diseases.

"We are delighted to move another Lundbeck invention further forward in development. Cognitive symptoms associated with Schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease have a tremendous negative impact on people's quality of life and ability to function both privately and professionally, so there is a huge need for better treatments of these symptoms", says Anders Gersel Pedersen, executive vice president, research and development at Lundbeck.

Phosphodiesterase type 1 (PDE1) is an enzyme naturally present in the human brain where it plays an important role in the communication between brain cells. Inhibiting the enzyme increases the presence of a chemical messenger within the cells that improves the communication, in turn improving the cognitive function. The phase I-study is designed to provide information about safety and tolerability, general pharmacokinetic characteristics and to identify maximum tolerated dose.