Cynapsus Announces Parkinson’s Disease Survey Results
Marketwire, July 27, 2022
APL 130277 (Sublingual Apomorphine) scores high in US and European survey of Neurologists treating Parkinson’s patients with motor fluctuations
TORONTO, CANADA – Cynapsus Therapeutics Inc. (“Cynapsus”) (formerly Cannasat Therapeutics Inc.) (CTH: TSX-V) announced today the results of a survey of neurologists and movement disorder specialists relating to Parkinson’s (PD) practices and treatments, specifically targeted at analyzing the use of apomorphine products. An independent, experienced, medical survey company in the United States questioned 50 neurologists in the US and Europe, who collectively treat approximately 12,000 Parkinson’s patients for motor fluctuations. The data indicates that the majority of neurologists surveyed believe that Cynapsus’ less-invasive, sublingual formulation of apomorphine (APL 130277) could be useful in the treatment of PD.
Cynapsus is posting a summary of the survey results to its web site.
In the United States, Apomorphine is only available as an injection while it is available as injection and as a continuous infusion in many EU countries. Although it is known to allow patients to quickly resume normal voluntary movement, its use is limited to more severe PD patients because of many inconveniences associated with injections (inconvenience, pain, expertise and dexterity needed for injection, etc). The severe PD segment represents approximately 20% of all diagnosed and treated patients.
Cynapsus believes that the ease of use, comfort, safety and tolerability of a sublingual form (such as APL 130277) versus the current injectable form of apomorphine will also allow its use in more moderate PD patients, expanding the market beyond the current use in mainly the most severe PD patients.
The mild-to-moderate and moderate-to-severe population segments represent approximately 80% of all diagnosed and treated Parkinson’s patients who are largely excluded from apomorphine treatment because of the limitations associated with the injection and infusion.
The survey results reveal that neurologists would consider using sublingual apomorphine use in up to 5 times more patients with severe PD over the injectable. Even more important is the finding that neurologists would consider using sublingual apomorphine in up to 5 to 7 times more in mild-moderate and moderate-severe patients than currently treated, validating Cynapsus market expansion strategy for APL 130277.
Some of the highlights of the survey results include:
• Neurologists and movement disorder specialists currently prescribe apomorphine injection or infusion to 5.4% of all PD patients (average over all sub-segments and geographical regions surveyed). Apomorphine injection or infusion is used in only 1.4% of mild-moderate patients, in 5.3% of moderate-severe patients, and has the highest penetration of 8.9% of PD patients in the severe category.
• If a sublingual, solid, fast-dissolving dosage form of apomorphine was made available (such as APL 130277), respondents would consider using the drug in 10.3% of mild-moderate patients, 28.0% of moderate-severe patients and 43.0% of severe PD patients, which is about 24.7% of all PD patients (average over all sub-segments and geographical regions surveyed).
• Both U.S. and European neurologists rate inconvenience of injection as the biggest barrier preventing them from expanding use of apomorphine to a broader spectrum of PD patients.
• The majority (72.5%) of surveyed neurologists think that a sublingual solid fast dissolving dosage form would/could also be utilized as an adjunct therapy by a patient to achieve fast “ON” in the morning, and one or two more times per day instead of their levodopa. Additionally, more than half of all respondents (58.8%) believe the levodopa sparing, provided by apomorphine adjunct therapy, could have clinical benefits to the patients over time.
• Compared to 5.4% of all PD patients currently treated with injectable apomorphine, the potential larger population of diagnosed and treated patients would benefit from a fast-dissolving form and this significant market growth potential can be attributed to (1) ease and convenience of use, (2) a potential expansion of the use of apomorphine in less severe instances of the disease, and (3) other possible benefits from the use of apomorphine in combination with ‘standard’ therapy.
“Given that there are approximately 4 million diagnosed Parkinson’s patients world-wide, and that approximately half of these patients have a moderate form of the disease, the potential market is quite significant. This survey confirms our belief that there is a considerable market opportunity for our APL 130277 Parkinson’s drug candidate,” said Anthony Giovinazzo, President and CEO of Cynapsus.
About Cynapsus Therapeutics
Cynapsus is a specialty clinical development pharmaceutical company targeting diseases of the brain. Cynapsus has a lower risk Parkinson’s drug candidate (“APL-130277”), which is a reformulation of an approved drug. APL-130277 is designed to address a much larger moderate to severe patient population, which represents close to 50% of Parkinson’s patients. Cynapsus also has a proprietary formulation technology for cannabinoid drug candidates, which may be used to treat neuropathic pain associated with multiple sclerosis and cancer, as well as for nausea/vomiting and appetite stimulation.
Cynapsus’ strategy is to grow its portfolio of drug candidates through in-licensing and acquisitions, and to advance projects to Phase 2 proof-of-concept clinical studies. Once the drug candidates are sufficiently derisked, Cynapsus intends to out-license the programs to the appropriate pharmaceutical marketing partners for a combination of upfront, milestone, and royalty payments.
More information about Cynapsus (CTH: TSX-V) is available at www.cynapsus.ca.
Contact Information
Cynapsus Therapeutics Inc.
Andrew Williams
COO & CFO
W: (416) 703-2449 (Ext. 253)
F: (416) 703-8752
[email protected]
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes" or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Cynapsus to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to those risks and uncertainties relating to Cynapsus’ business disclosed under the heading “Risk Factors” in Cynapsus' current Annual Information Form and its other filings with the various Canadian securities regulators which are available online at www.sedar.com. Although Cynapsus has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Cynapsus does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
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