Vatiquinone

1213269-98-7 CAS ,

MW440.6636, C29 H44 O3

Reverses visual loss due to retinal ganglion degeneration.

• 2,5-Cyclohexadiene-1,4-dione, 2-((3R,6e,10E)-3-hydroxy-3,7,11,15-tetramethyl-6,10,14-hexadecatrien-1-yl)-3,5,6-trimethyl-

• alpha-Tocotrienol quinone
• EPI 743
• UNII-6O85FK9I0X
• Vatiquinone
• ATQ-3

Biogen Idec, Atlas Venture Pump $17M into Ataxion

• Biogen Idec and Atlas Venture have agreed to invest a combined $17 million of Series A financing in a nearly-year-old drug developer focused on hereditary ataxias. Biogen Idec is separately providing R&D and other funding to the company, called Ataxion. The biotech giant has the option to acquire Ataxion to continue development of the program upon completion of a Phase I multiple ascending dose (MAD) study at pre-negotiated terms, including undisclosed upfront and milestone payments. Earlier this month, Edison Pharmaceuticals won FDA “fast-track” designation for its own Fredrich’s ataxia drug, the company’s lead drug candidate EPI-743, now in Phase II trials. And on February 12, the developer of a preclinical gene therapy for Friedrich’s ataxia, Voyager Therapeutics, was launched by Third Rock Ventures with $45 million in Series A financing. read at http://www.genengnews.com/gen-news-highlights/biogen-idec-atlas-venture-pump-17m-into-ataxion/81249632/
• EPI-743 is being developed at Edison Pharmaceuticals in phase II clinical trials for several indications; Leigh syndrome, Friedreich’s ataxia, Parkinson’s disease, Pearson syndrome, cobalamin C deficiency syndrome and Rett’s syndrome. The licensee, Dainippon Sumitomo is developing the product in phase II/III study for the treatment of Leigh syndrome in children. Preclinical studies are also underway for the treatment of Huntington’s disease. In 2011, an orphan drug designation was assigned by the FDA for the treatment of inherited mitochondrial respiratory chain diseases and by the EMA for the treatment of Leigh syndrome, and in 2014, the FDA assigned another orphan drug for the treatment of Friedreich’s ataxia. In 2014, the product was granted fast track designation for this indication. In 2013, the compound was licensed to Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma by Edison Pharmaceuticals in Japan for development and commercialization for the treatment of pediatric orphan inherited mitochondrial and adult central nervous system diseases.
• OLD ARTICLE

19 February 2013 EPI-743 Vatiquinone  is a new drug that is based on vitamin E. Tests have shown that it can help improve the function of cells with mitochondrial problems. It may be able to treat people with genetic disorders that affect metabolism and mitochondria Edison Pharmaceuticals and Bambino Gesu Children’s Hospital have announced the commencement of EPI-743 Phase 2 cobalamin C deficiency syndrome trial. EPI-743 is an orally bioavailable small molecule and a member of the para-benzoquinone class of drugs. The trial’s principal investigator, Bambino Gesu Children’s Hospital, division of metabolism Professor Carlo Dionisi-Vici said, “Given the central role of glutathione in cellular redox balance and antioxidant defense systems, we are eager to explore whether a therapeutic that increases glutathione such as EPI-743 will provide clinical benefit.” Improvement in visual function is the primary endpoint of the placebo-controlled study while secondary outcome measurements assess neurologic and neuromuscular function, glutathione biomarkers, quality of life, in addition to safety parameters. The investigation is aimed at assessing the efficacy of EPI-743 in disorders of intermediary metabolism that also result in redox disturbances. EPI-743 is an orally absorbed small molecule that readily crosses into the central nervous system. It works by targeting the enzyme NADPH quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1). Its mode of action is to synchronize energy generation in mitochondria with the need to counter cellular redox stress Friedreich’s ataxia (FRDA) is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative and cardiodegenerative disorder caused by decreased levels of the protein frataxin. The disease causes the progressive loss of voluntary motor coordination (ataxia) and cardiac complications. Symptoms typically begin in childhood, and the disease progressively worsens as the patient grows older; patients eventually become wheelchair-bound due to motor disabilities. Patients with Friedreich’s ataxia develop loss of visual acuity or changes in color vision. Most have jerky eye movements (nystagmus), but these movements by themselves do not necessarily interfere with vision. ……………… Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2011, 21(12): 3693 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960894X11005440 We report that α-tocotrienol quinone (ATQ3) is a metabolite of α-tocotrienol, and that ATQ3 is a potent cellular protectant against oxidative stress and aging. ATQ3 is orally bioavailable, crosses the blood–brain barrier, and has demonstrated clinical response in inherited mitochondrial disease in open label studies. ATQ3 activity is dependent upon reversible 2e-redox-cycling. ATQ3 may represent a broader class of unappreciated dietary-derived phytomolecular redox motifs that digitally encode biochemical data using redox state as a means to sense and transfer information essential for cellular function.

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WO2010126909 The active component of the formulation of the present invention is selected from alpha- tocotrienol quinone, beta-tocotrienol quinone, gamma-tocotrienol quinone, delta-tocotrienol quinone, and mixtures thereof. In one embodiment, the formulation of the present invention comprises alpha-tocotrienol quinone as the active component. In other embodiments, the formulations of the present invention comprise one or more tocotrienol quinones of Formula I or mixtures thereof, in a pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle, and in other embodiments, the formulations of the present invention comprise alpha-tocotrienol quinone in a pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle. In other particular embodiments, the formulations are administered orally. In other embodiments, the formulations of the present invention comprise one or more tocotrienol quinones of Formula I or mixtures thereof, in an ophthalmically acceptable vehicle for topical, periocular, or intraocular administration, and in other embodiments, the formulations of the present invention comprise alpha-tocotrienol quinone in an ophthalmically acceptable vehicle.

[0120] The formulations of the present invention comprise tocotrienol quinones which can be produced synthetically from the respective tocotrienol by oxidation with suitable oxidizing agents, as for example eerie ammonium nitrate (CAN). Particularly, the formulations of the present invention comprise alpha-tocotrienol quinone (CAS Reg. No. 1401-66-7) produced by oxidation of alpha-tocotrienol. A preferred process for the production of alpha-tocotrienol has been described in co-owned US provisional application USAN 61/197,585 titled “Process for Enrichment and Isolation of alpha-Tocotrienol from Natural Extracts”.

[0121] Syntheses of various members of the tocotrienol family in the d,l- or (RS)-form have been published, see for example Schudel et al, HeIv. Chim. Acta (1963) 46, 2517-2526; H. Mayer et al, HeIv. Chim. Acta (1967) 50, 1376-11393; H.-J. Kabbe et al, Synthesis (1978), 888-889; M. Kajiwara et al, Heterocycles (1980) 14, 1995-1998; S. Urano et al, Chem. Pharm. Bull. (1983) 31, 4341-4345, Pearce et al, J. Med Chem. (1992), 35, 3595-3606 and Pearce et al, J. Med. Chem. (1994). 37, 526-541. None of these reported processes lead to the natural form of the tocotrienols, but rather produces racemic mixtures. Syntheses of natural form d-tocotrienols have been published. See for example. J. Scott et al, HeIv. CMm. Acta (1976) 59, 290-306, Sato et al. (Japanese Patent 63063674); Sato et al. (Japanese Patent NoJP 01233278) and Couladouros et al. (US Patent No. 7,038,067).

[0122] While synthetic and natural tocopherols are readily available in the market, the natural tocotrienol supply is limited, and generally comprises a mixture of tocotrienols. Crude palm oil which is rich in tocotrienols (800-1500 ppm) offers a potential source of natural tocotrienols. Carotech, Malaysia is able to extract and concentrate tocotrienols from crude palm oil, by a process patented in U.S. Pat. No. 5,157,132. Tocomin®-50 typically comprises about 25.32% mixed tocotrienols (7.00% alpha-tocotrienol, 14.42% gamma-tocotrienol, 3.30% delta-tocotrienol and 0.6% beta-tocotrienol ), 6.90% alpha-tocopherol and other phytonutrients such as plant squalene, phytosterols, co-enzyme QlO and mixed carotenoids.

[0123] Other methods for isolation or enrichment of tocotrienol from certain plant oils and plant oil by-products have been described in the literature. For some examples of such isolation and purification processes, see for instance Top A. G. et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,618; Lane R et al, U.S. Pat No. 6,239,171; Bellafiore, L. et al. U.S. Pat. No.6,395,915; May, CY et al, U.S. Pat. No.6,656,358; Jacobs, L et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,838,104; Sumner, C et al. Int. Pat. Pub. WO 99/38860, or Jacobs, L, Int. Pat. Pub. WO 02/500054. The compounds for use in the present invention and the other therapeutically active agents can be administered at the recommended maximum clinical dosage or at lower doses. Dosage levels of the active compounds in the compositions for use in the present invention may be varied so as to obtain a desired therapeutic response depending on the route of administration, severity of the disease and the response of the patient. When administered in combination with other therapeutic agents, the therapeutic agents can be formulated as separate compositions that are given at the same time or different times, or the therapeutic agents can be given as a single composition.