On November 9, 2017 VistaGen Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: VTGN), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing new generation medicines for depression and other central nervous system (CNS) disorders, reported its financial results for its second fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2017 (Press release, VistaGen Therapeutics, NOV 9, 2017, View Source [SID1234521908]).

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The Company also provided an update on its corporate progress and recently achieved milestone for AV-101, its oral CNS drug candidate in Phase 2 development, initially as a new generation adjunctive treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD).

"The FDA’s recent authorization to proceed under our AV-101 IND application is a significant milestone in our Phase 2 program focused on MDD," commented Shawn Singh, Chief Executive Officer of VistaGen. "With that authorization, we are now one step closer towards our goal of commencing our 180-patient, multi-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 adjunctive treatment study in the first quarter of 2018."

Milestones achieved during the quarter:
In October 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the Company to proceed under its Investigational New Drug (IND) application with its planned 180-patient, multi-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 study to assess the safety, tolerability and efficacy of AV-101 as an orally administered adjunctive treatment for adult MDD patients with an inadequate response to standard, FDA-approved antidepressants. Dr. Maurizio Fava of Harvard Medical School will be the Principal Investigator of this study, expected to begin in the first quarter of 2018 with completion expected at the end of 2018.

Recent Operational Highlights:
Intellectual Property Accomplishments

The European Patent Office granted a European Patent for AV-101 relating to the treatment of depression, Parkinson’s disease levodopa-induced dyskinesia (PD LID) and use of multiple dosage forms to treat these CNS disorders. The patent has been validated in Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. It will be in effect until January 2034.
The Company received a Notice of Allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for U.S. Patent Application No. 14/775,287 related to certain methods of production for AV-101.
The corresponding patent application related to methods of production for AV-101 was also granted in China.
Bolstered Clinical Team with Industry Expert

The Company appointed David Rotella, Ph.D. to the Scientific Advisory Board of VistaStem Therapeutics, the Company’s wholly owned subsidiary focused on utilizing the Company’s stem cell technology, to assist in advancing VistaStem’s small molecule drug rescue objectives and in evaluating other CNS-focused programs intended to expand VistaGen’s drug development pipeline. Dr. Rotella has extensive academic research and pharmaceutical industry experience in both medicinal chemistry and drug discovery, including key leadership roles on teams at Wyeth, Pfizer and Bristol-Meyers focused on drug candidates to fight cancer, cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases.
Financial Results for the Fiscal Quarter Ended September 30, 2017:
Net loss for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2017 was approximately $5.0 million, including non-cash expenses of approximately $2.1 million, compared to $3.1 million for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2016, which included non-cash expenses of approximately $0.7 million.

Research and development expense totaled approximately $2.4 million for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2017, compared with approximately $1.6 million for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2016. The increase in year-over-year research and development expense was attributable to the Company’s increased focus on the continuing nonclinical and clinical development of AV-101 and ongoing preparations to launch its AV-101 MDD Phase 2 adjunctive treatment study.

General and administrative expense was approximately $2.6 million in the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2017, compared to approximately $1.5 million in the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2016, reflecting increased professional services expenses and noncash expense attributable to the grant of common stock for services, noncash warrant modification expense and, to a lesser extent, salary and benefits and noncash stock compensation expenses.

At September 30, 2017, the Company had cash of approximately $1.76 million, compared to approximately $1.63 million as of June 30, 2017. In September 2017, the Company completed an underwritten public offering of shares of its common stock and warrants. The gross proceeds from this offering were approximately $2.4 million, resulting in net proceeds of $2.0 million, after deducting the underwriting discount and offering expenses.

About VistaGen
VistaGen Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: VTGN) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing new generation medicines for depression and other CNS disorders. VistaGen’s lead CNS product candidate, AV-101, is in Phase 2 development, initially as a new generation oral antidepressant drug candidate for MDD. AV-101’s mechanism of action is fundamentally different from all FDA-approved antidepressants and atypical antipsychotics used adjunctively to treat MDD, with potential to drive a paradigm shift towards a new generation of safer and faster-acting antidepressants. AV-101 is currently being evaluated by the NIMH in a small Phase 2 monotherapy study in MDD being fully funded by the NIMH and conducted by Dr. Carlos Zarate Jr., Chief, Section on the Neurobiology and Treatment of Mood Disorders and Chief of Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch at the NIMH. VistaGen is preparing to launch a 180-patient Phase 2 study of AV-101 as an adjunctive treatment for MDD patients with an inadequate response to standard, FDA-approved antidepressants, with Dr. Maurizio Fava of Harvard University as Principal Investigator. AV-101 may also have the potential to treat multiple CNS disorders and neurodegenerative diseases in addition to MDD, including neuropathic pain, epilepsy, Huntington’s disease, PD LID and other disorders where modulation of the NMDA receptors, activation of AMPA pathways and/or key active metabolites of AV-101 may achieve therapeutic benefit.