China Food and Drug Administration has approved the clinical trial for Huperzine A controlled-release tablets, which is developed by GAN Yong’s and ZHANG Haiyan's research groups in the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica(SIMM), Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Huperzine A (HupA) is a potent, highly specific and reversible cholinesterase inhibitor, which is extracted from a traditional Chinese herb Huperzia serrata. It is indicated for the treatment for benign memory disorders and Alzheimer's disease (AD).

For AD patients who suffers from mental disorder, it is difficult to comply with the twice-daily oral administration. Acetylcholinesterase(AchE) is widely distributed in the centra nervous system and peripheral organs. The potential peripheral cholinergic side effect has limited the dosage and efficacy of the drug.

Up till now, there are no Hup A controlled-release tablets in market. For more therapeutic, safer and more compliant clinical application, GAN’s and ZHANG’s research groups designed and developed the Hup A fast/controlled biphasic tablets with the instruction of Prof.TANG Xican, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.　

The formula of the controlled-release tablets was designed based on the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic features of Hup A, which is slow to eliminate in central nervous system and slow to dissociate with central AchE.

Compared with original Hup A, the controlled-release tablets reduced the burst effect, enlarged duration of efficacy and minimized the peripheral cholinergic side effect. Therefore, Hup A controlled-release tablets is expected to improve compliance, attenuate toxicity and extend the efficacy.

SIMM has transferred the intellectual property to Wanbangde Pharmaceutical Group in 2016.

(Credit: WANG Yuzhe)