- 01ARG-007 cuts neuroinflammation after repeated mild TBI.
- 021 mg/kg, 30 min post-injury; lasts 11 days.
- 03Reduces oxidative stress and axonal injury in cortex and VTA.
Argenica Therapeutics (ASX: AGN) has reported significant neuroprotective activity for lead drug candidate ARG-007 (xaranetide) in a preclinical model of repeated mild traumatic brain injury (TBI), or concussion.
A single low dose administered 30 minutes after repeated injury reduced neuroinflammation, oxidative stress and axonal damage across several brain regions.
The effects remained evident 11 days after injury, suggesting ARG-007 may modify biological processes associated with concussion rather than merely address symptoms.
The findings extend preclinical evidence for the drug across mild, moderate and severe TBI models while Argenica considers development options for concussion.
Single Dose Shows Durable Effects
Curtin University conducted the rodent study in collaboration with the Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, using two mild brain injuries delivered 24 hours apart.
Researchers administered one intravenous dose of ARG-007 at one milligram per kilogram 30 minutes after the second injury.
Treatment reduced the reactivity of the brain’s principal inflammatory cells across the hippocampus, cortex, and corpus callosum.
Both inflammatory markers returned to levels observed in non-injured control animals by day 11, indicating that the treatment effect persisted through a critical period of brain recovery.
Multiple Injury Pathways Reduced
ARG-007 also lowered a marker of oxidative stress to normal levels in the cortex and ventral tegmental area (VTA) 11 days after injury.
The VTA contributes to motivation, reward, attention, learning, and cognition, with disruption of signalling in the region believed to contribute to cognitive and neuropsychiatric symptoms after mild TBI.
Researchers recorded a significant reduction in a marker of neuroaxonal injury in the VTA, adding to the evidence that ARG-007 acted across several components of the secondary injury cascade.
Argenica considers the simultaneous reduction of neuroinflammation, oxidative stress and axonal damage to support the drug’s potential as a disease-modifying neuroprotective therapy rather than a treatment aimed at one downstream pathway.
Concussion Potential Extends Platform
“These findings show that a single dose of ARG-007, given soon after repeated mild brain injury, reduced inflammation, oxidative stress and cellular damage across multiple regions of the brain—processes believed to drive prolonged concussion symptoms and delayed recovery,” managing director Liz Dallimore said.
"This is another independent demonstration of xaranetide's efficacy in TBI, adding to a growing body of evidence across mild, moderate, and severe injury models, and reinforcing its potential as a disease-modifying therapy for repeated concussion.”
Argenica identified repeated mild TBI and concussion as a potential complementary indication affecting contact-sport athletes, military personnel and survivors of domestic violence.
No approved pharmacological neuroprotective therapy currently exists for the indication, providing a scientific basis to explore development alongside the core stroke program.
The company is now considering the next steps for advancing ARG-007 in concussion following the positive preclinical findings.
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