Actinogen Medical – executive interview

Actinogen Medical is an ASX-listed Australian biotech developing its lead asset, emestedastat (Xanamem), a specific and selective 11β-HSD1 inhibitor designed to prevent excess cortisol production in the brain and thereby reduce the progression of chronic neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Xanamem has also shown therapeutic activity in the treatment of major depressive disorder.

In this interview, managing director and CEO Dr Steven Gourlay discusses how Xanamem’s mechanism of action targeting cortisol differs from other approaches used to slow the progression of AD. He elaborates on the company’s ongoing Phase IIb/III XanaMIA study assessing the drug in AD as well as the robust evidence surrounding the use of the pTau-181 blood biomarker to qualify patients in this trial. Dr Gourlay highlights the company’s meaningful upcoming milestones, such as the planned release of interim XanaMIA data in the third quarter of 2025. He also covers the trajectory for Xanamem development as a treatment for major depressive disorder following encouraging findings shown in 2024 from the company’s XanaCIDD Phase IIa study.