ATLANTA– Alzamend Neuro, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALZN), an early clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel products for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and psychiatric disorders, today announced the appointment of Dr. Terri Hunter, Ph.D., a Technology Transfer Specialist, to its Scientific Advisory Board. During her tenure at the University of South Florida (“USF”), Dr. Hunter was responsible for managing the patent portfolio associated with Alzamend’s two product candidates, AL001 and AL002. AL001 is a novel lithium-delivery system; it is a lithium-salicylate-L-proline engineered ionic co-crystal under development as an oral treatment for patients with dementia related to mild, moderate, and severe cognitive impairment associated with Alzheimer’s disease (“Alzheimer’s”). AL001 has the potential to deliver benefits of marketed lithium carbonate without current toxicities. AL002 is a patented method using a mutant-peptide sensitized cell as a cell-based therapeutic vaccine that reduces beta-amyloid plaque and seeks to restore the ability of the patient’s immunological system to combat Alzheimer’s.
Dr. Hunter said, “I am excited to work with Alzamend’s management team as a member of its Scientific Advisory Board. I am thrilled at the swift progress of Alzamend’s clinical program and the recently reported full data set of AL001’s Phase I study. The possibility of providing benefits from AL001 containing lithium at up to 50% of the currently approved lithium carbonate dosage, with the potential for better outcomes and elimination of the need for lithium therapeutic drug monitoring, is a win for the 3+ million Americans currently taking lithium-based treatments. Moreover, that the Phase I data confirm AL001’s potential as a replacement of the current lithium-based treatment and the potential for a new treatment option for the over 40+ million Americans suffering from Alzheimer’s, bipolar disorder, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (“PTSD”), is profound and could greatly impact the health care system.”
Currently, Dr. Hunter is a Technology Transfer Specialist at the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (“USDVA”). Dr. Hunter joined the USDVA in September 2020. Prior to joining the USDVA, Dr. Hunter worked as a senior licensing manager in the Technology Transfer Office, patents & licensing at the USF for 10 years. From 2003 to 2010, Dr. Hunter worked as a Research Scientist at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida. At Moffitt, Dr. Hunter performed translational research and pre-clinical through Phase II clinical trials, focused on cell-based cancer vaccines and combination therapies for cancer. Her post-doctoral training was conducted at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. Dr. Hunter received a B.S. in Biology from Palm Beach Atlantic University, a M.S. in Medical Sciences from the USF, College of Medicine, and a Ph.D. in Medical Sciences from the USF, College of Medicine (Medical Microbiology and Immunology Program).
“Alzamend is very pleased having Dr. Hunter join its Scientific Advisory Board and believes she will greatly assist in navigating the scientific and intellectual property challenges commonly faced by an early clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company,” said Stephan Jackman, Chief Executive Officer of Alzamend. “We look forward to enlisting Dr. Hunter’s expertise as we initiate a Phase 2 multiple ascending dose study involving Alzheimer’s patients for AL001 and the submission of an investigational new drug application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a combined Phase I/II for AL002 in the second quarter of 2022.”
