Targacept commences two clinical studies of TC-5619 for schizophrenia and ADHD

Targacept, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRGT), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel NNR Therapeutics™, today announced the initiation of two clinical studies of TC-5619, a Phase 2b study evaluating the product candidate as a treatment for negative symptoms and cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia and a Phase 2 study evaluating the product candidate in adults as a treatment for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), inattentive-predominant. TC-5619 is a highly selective modulator of the alpha7 neuronal nicotinic receptor.

“Our prior clinical findings with TC-5619, particularly the improvements in negative symptomatology in a study in schizophrenia patients and on both investigator-rated and subject-rated scales in the inattentive-predominant dataset in a study in adults with ADHD, have us enthusiastic about its potential in both areas”

"Our prior clinical findings with TC-5619, particularly the improvements in negative symptomatology in a study in schizophrenia patients and on both investigator-rated and subject-rated scales in the inattentive-predominant dataset in a study in adults with ADHD, have us enthusiastic about its potential in both areas," said Geoffrey C. Dunbar, M.D., Targacept's Senior Vice President, Clinical Development and Regulatory Affairs and Chief Medical Officer.

"Currently available treatment options are not well suited for ADHD patients whose challenges are predominantly on the inattentiveness side," said Paul Newhouse, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry and Director, Center for Cognitive Medicine, Department of Psychiatry at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center. "There is a compelling need for mechanistically novel, well-tolerated medicines to treat these patients."