Neuralstem commences dosing in NSI-189 Phase Ib trial for major depressive disorder

Neuralstem, Inc. (NYSE MKT: CUR) announced that the first patients were dosed in Phase Ib of its ongoing trial to test the safety of NSI-189 in the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). NSI-189, the lead compound in Neuralstem's small molecule platform, is a proprietary new chemical entity that stimulates new neuron growth in the hippocampus, a region of the brain believed to be implicated in MDD as well as other diseases and conditions, such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), Alzheimer's disease, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This is the first time the drug will be tested in patients with MDD, as Phase Ia was in healthy volunteers.

"We are pleased to begin testing the safety of NSI-189 in depression patients," said Karl Johe, PhD, Neuralstem's Board of Directors and Chief Scientific Officer. "We believe it could help patients who suffer from depression via a new mechanism that does not seek to modulate brain chemistry, but rather stimulates new neuron growth in the hippocampus and increases hippocampal volume, thereby potentially addressing the problem at the source."