Sabcomeline, a direct-acting cholinergic muscarinic receptor  agonist, offers a new approach to the treatment of schizophrenia. Worldwide rights to the development and marketing of the compound were acquired from GlaxoSmithKline.

Exploratory studies including a Phase IIa clinical trial conducted by Minster provided evidence that sabcomeline has activity against the negative symptoms of schizophrenia and associated cognitive decline. The Company has filed patents relating to the use of sabcomeline in the management of cognitive decline and negative symptoms in schizophrenia and in the management of prodromal syndrome, a collection of symptoms indicating the potential onset of mental illness.

Minster is in advanced discussions with two leading US academic centres in clinical psychiatry, at Columbia University, New York, and Vanderbilt University, Nashville, with a view to their conducting a Phase II proof of concept study with sabcomeline in the treatment of schizophrenia. With its established safety and tolerability profile from previous studies in more than 2,500 patients with Alzheimer’s disease sabcomeline offers the possibility of rapid development in this area of high unmet medical need.

The US National Institute of Mental Health has estimated that schizophrenia affects 1.5 million people in the US. Schizophrenia remains a difficult condition to treat and all drugs currently used in the management of the condition have significant side effects.