Curemark, a drug research and development company focused on the treatment of neurological diseases, reports that its compound CM-182 demonstrated positive results for schizophrenia in the transgenic chakragati (ckr) model of psychosis. The mouse model screening was performed by CRO Cerca Insights.

The chakragati mouse, considered a model for screening antipsychotic compounds, exhibits abnormal circling behavior and hyperactivity in response to environmental stress cues and also anti-social behaviors. When administered Curemark's CM-182, the mice demonstrated dose-related decreases in the hyperactive behaviors. In an article published in Neuroscience in 2010 (Dawe, et al.), it was demonstrated that the ckr mouse was predictive of antipsychotic efficacy based on decreased hyperactivity.

"Our findings in the ckr mouse model are illustrative of improvement in the positive class of schizophrenic symptoms," says Dr. Matthew Heil, executive vice president of drug development and research. "Based on these findings, we are further investigating CM-182's potential to affect the negative class symptoms associated with schizophrenia."