Nordic Life Science Pipeline Inc. “Nordic” is proud to announce completion of the first clinical trials of SpinalonTM, an oral pill composed of three active molecular entities capable together of triggering within minutes short bouts of locomotor-like activity in the legs of spinal cordinjured patients who had been chronically paralyzed for years.

In 2004, a breakthrough finding in mice revealed that this experimental treatment could indeed elicit ondemand, upon each administration, reactivation of specific spinal networks and, hence, corresponding walking movements on a treadmill. In 2009, Nordic signed a licensing agreement with Laval University and its main research hospital (CHU de Québec) to obtain the exclusive rights of further developing this new technology. In 2012, Nordic undertook the first round of clinical trials coordinated by Mr. Mario Vaillancourt (head of clinical affairs at Nordic) and independently conducted by clinical experts, Dr Mohan Radhakrishna (physiatrist, McGill University Health Center) and Dr. François Prince (head, department of kinesiology, University of Montréal). With significant financial support from the US Department of Defense, the study was completed last August. Preliminary evidence of efficacy in humans were found within safe doses.

Two related articles in preparation are about to be submitted to the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine. SpinalonTM may thus become the first simple, easy to use, non-invasive and affordable therapy ($10 dollars CAD per pill is the estimated retail price) for some functional recovery in chronic spinal cord-injured individuals. This enables preparation of the next step – that is even larger-scale studies (1000 patients) to seek approval for sales within 5 years in Canada, Europe and United States.

About SpinalonTM: It was discovered at Université Laval and CHU de Québec in 2004 by Dr. Pierre Guertin (full professor, Faculty of Medicine), this drug constitutes a novel class of treatment acting as a potent activator of the spinal locomotor network. It is made of already known and regulatory approved molecules normally used by patients with Parkinson’s disease or anxiety, aimed in this case to prevent or reduce secondary complications and comorbid problems associated with chronic paralysis through regularly-induced treadmill training.

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Preclinical evidence supporting the clinical development of central pattern generator-modulating therapies for chronic spinal cord-injured patients: Publication Link

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GOOGLE TRANSLATED October 1, 2015

A researcher of the University Hospital Centre (CHU) de Québec has completed the clinical trial of a drug that enables paraplegic or quadriplegic completely a patient leg muscles to contract. The medicament of the clinical trial, the Spinalon, was performed on 45 patients.

The aim is not to restore the ability to walk normally for patients, but rather to allow them to walk 30 to 45 minutes on a treadmill.

It is the researcher Pierre Guertin who invented the Spinalon. The researcher explains that the objective of Spinalon is to counter the side effects of physical paralysis, such as obesity and cholesterol.

“It does not restore normal operation. An individual can not turn right, left or have 45 minutes to get groceries. It’s not the goal. This is to allow an intense treadmill training […] to counter all the secondary health problems of these people, “says the researcher.

On the planet, over 10 million people are completely paralyzed and could benefit from the effects of this new drug. In Québec, approximately 6,000 people are paralyzed.

The Spinalon allows “pharmacologically reactivate the neural network in the spinal cord “, summarizes Pierre Guertin .

The researcher and his team had previously achieved very good results in mice.

“It was spectacular! Mice for which there was no control in the rear legs , so completely paraplegic , suddenly in 15 minutes, they get up and start walking on a treadmill. ”

Finance research: Researchers are currently looking for funding. Nearly 8 million are needed to proceed to the next clinical study in Canada, the United States and Europe. The first stage of the research was paid for by the US military. The Spinalon could help treat many veterans. Pierre Guertin believes that.