Marvel Biosciences Corp. and its wholly owned subsidiary, Marvel Biotechnology Inc. reported promising interim results from its acute study on MB-204 conducted by Professor Emmanuel Planel of Laval University, a world expert on Tau pathology. Tau phosphorylation is a process where phosphates attach to a Tau protein in the brain.

When Tau proteins become overly phosphorylated, they aggregate and form "tangles" in neurons. The study demonstrated that short term oral dosing of MB-204 reduces Tau phosphorylation at key positions in Tau. Abnormal Tau phosphorylation is a key feature of cognitive impairment and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease.

Using a mouse model of Tau hyperphosphorylation, pioneered by Dr. Planel, a 2.5 mg/kg oral dose of MB-204 significantly reduced Tau phosphorylation at multiple epitopes in the cortex of mice, including the AT8 site on Tau. The AT8 site is of particular interest because it is used clinically to assess the extent of Tau tangles (Braak staging) and is well correlated with the degree of cognitive impairment.