CLINICAL AND PRECLINICAL PROGRAMS
Icagen is conducting clinical and preclinical studies in its core focus areas, which include the following:
ICA-105665 is a novel opener of the KCNQ potassium ion channel which has
demonstrated a broad spectrum of activity in preclinical models of both
epilepsy and pain. In Phase I safety studies, the compound was shown to be
well tolerated in both healthy volunteers and in epilepsy patients. ICA-105665
was subsequently studied in patients with photosensitive epilepsy, with two of
the four patients tested in the 400mg dose cohort showing a positive
response. This study was subsequently extended to doses of 500mg and
600mg, but due to a serious adverse event in the 600mg dose cohort the
study was placed on clinical hold. In an extension to the multiple ascending
dose safety study in healthy volunteers, ICA-105665 continued to be well
tolerated at doses up to 600mg. The Company is currently discussing
potential next steps with its advisors and with the FDA, with analysis of the
complete data set from both studies ongoing.
Icagen has a broad research effort directed at novel ion channel targets for
pain control. In August 2007, Icagen entered into a collaboration with Pfizer for
the discovery and development of novel pharmaceuticals directed against
three sodium channel targets. In addition, Icagen is pursuing research
directed at multiple ion channel targets in its pain control program.
Icagen has identified several ion channel targets that are expressed at high
levels in some immune system cells and that may play an important role in
modulating the inflammatory response. Icagen has discovered compounds
that are active in vitro against some of these targets, leading to decreases in
calcium entry into immune system cells, decreases in immune system cell
proliferation, decreases in immune system cell migration into tissues and
other measures of inflammatory responses. Icagen has also demonstrated
effects of our compounds in animal models of inflammatory diseases
In addition to the areas noted above, Icagen is continuing to explore the human ion channel genome, for which it has completed the cloning of all human ion channel genes, to identify new therapeutic opportunities.
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