On February 18, 2018 MediciNova, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company traded on the NASDAQ Global Market (NASDAQ:MNOV) and the JASDAQ Market of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (Code Number: 4875), reported that an abstract regarding the completed SPRINT-MS Phase 2b Trial of MN-166 (ibudilast) in progressive multiple sclerosis (progressive MS), which was conducted through the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-sponsored NeuroNEXT network, has been selected for plenary presentation at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) 70th Annual Meeting to be held April 21-27, 2018 in Los Angeles, California (Press release, MediciNova, FEB 18, 2018, View Source;p=RssLanding&cat=news&id=2333124 [SID1234524045]).

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The presentation entitled "A Phase II Trial of Ibudilast in Progressive Multiple Sclerosis" will be presented by Dr. Robert Fox, Staff Neurologist at the Cleveland Clinic and the principal investigator of this clinical trial.

Presentation details are as follows:

Date and Time: Tuesday, April 24, 2018, 9:15 am – 11:30 am

Session: Clinical Trials Plenary Session

Location: Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90015

About the Progressive MS Trial

The Phase 2b Secondary and Primary Progressive Ibudilast NeuroNEXT trial in Multiple Sclerosis (SPRINT-MS) included 28 enrolling clinical sites across the U.S. and was designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability and activity of MN-166 (ibudilast) administered orally twice daily to subjects with primary progressive or secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS or SPMS, respectively). 255 qualifying subjects were randomly assigned 1:1 to inactive control (placebo) or MN-166 (ibudilast) administered at a dose of up to 100 mg/day (50 mg twice daily). The progressive MS subjects were either untreated with long-term disease modifying therapy (DMT) or continued on either glatiramer acetate (GA) or interferon beta (IFNβ-1a or IFNβ-1b) treatment. Hence, randomization was controlled (stratified) by two factors: therapy status (IFN/GA vs. no DMT) and disease status (PPMS vs. SPMS). The primary objectives of the study were to 1) evaluate the activity of ibudilast (MN-166) versus placebo at 96 weeks as measured by quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) analysis for whole brain atrophy using brain parenchymal fraction (BPF), and 2) evaluate the safety and tolerability of ibudilast (MN-166) versus placebo in subjects with PPMS or SPMS. Additional measures included disability, imaging analyses of brain and retinal tissue integrity, cortical atrophy, cognitive impairment, quality-of-life and neuropathic pain. Exploratory objectives included pharmacokinetic and biomarker analyses.

About the Cooperative Effort

The collaborating entities include NeuroNEXT, the Cleveland Clinic, the National MS Society and MediciNova. NINDS’s Network for Excellence in Neuroscience Clinical Trials, or NeuroNEXT, was created to conduct studies of treatments for neurological diseases through partnerships with academia, private foundations and industry. NeuroNEXT sites include many of the leading medical centers in the U.S. (www.neuronext.org). The goals of NeuroNEXT include testing of promising neurological therapies in Phase 2 clinical trials, optimizing drug development time and cost components through an established clinical trials infrastructure, and the coordination of public/private sector efforts by leveraging NINDS’s existing relationships with academic investigators and patient advocacy groups. A clinical coordinating center for NeuroNEXT is led by Dr. Merit Cudkowicz and is based at Massachusetts General Hospital and the data coordinating center is led by Dr. Chris Coffey at the University of Iowa. Principal Investigator Dr. Robert Fox and colleagues at the Cleveland Clinic collaborate with co-investigators at academic medical centers in the NeuroNEXT network. The National MS Society provided patient advocate input, trial enrollment awareness, and additional funding. MediciNova holds the trial IND with the FDA’s Division of Neurology Products and provides scientific and analytical support, as well as drug and placebo supply.

About Progressive Multiple Sclerosis

According to the National MS Society, MS affects approximately 2.3 million people worldwide. Approximately 85% of MS patients are initially diagnosed with relapsing remitting MS (RRMS). Most RRMS patients will eventually transition into SPMS in which there are fewer or no relapses but gradual worsening of neurologic function. Approximately 15% of MS patients are diagnosed with PPMS at onset and exhibit gradually increasing disability in walking, vision, mental acuity, and other bodily functions without experiencing relapses or remissions. Current therapies for MS affect the inflammatory response, but provide limited benefit for the neurodegeneration seen in progressive MS. There is a significant unmet medical need for agents that may provide neuroprotection in progressive MS.

About MN-166 (ibudilast)

MN-166 (ibudilast) has been marketed in Japan and Korea since 1989 to treat post-stroke complications and bronchial asthma. MediciNova is developing MN-166 for progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological conditions such as ALS and substance abuse/addiction. MN-166 (ibudilast) is a first-in-class, orally bioavailable, small molecule phosphodiesterase (PDE) -4 and -10 inhibitor and a macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) inhibitor that suppresses pro-inflammatory cytokines and promotes neurotrophic factors. It attenuates activated glia cells, which play a major role in certain neurological conditions. Ibudilast’s anti-neuroinflammatory and neuroprotective actions have been demonstrated in preclinical and clinical study results and provide the rationale for its therapeutic utility in neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., progressive MS and ALS), substance abuse/addiction and chronic neuropathic pain. MediciNova has a portfolio of patents which cover the use of MN-166 (ibudilast) to treat various diseases including progressive MS, ALS, and drug addiction.