Drug Maker Cortex Named in Breach of Agreement Suit

Cortex Pharmaceuticals Inc. said Monday that it has been named in a lawsuit by another drug maker alleging breach of agreement.

Alkermes Inc., based in Cambridge, Mass., alleges that Cortex’s program to develop calpain inhibitors for the treatment of cerebral vasospasm falls under neurological disorders, which under the agreement is Alkermes’ exclusive territory. Cortex denies the allegation and maintains that cerebral vasospasm--a sudden constriction of a blood vessel--is a disorder of the vascular system, not the nervous system.

Calpain, an enzyme activated by the body following a stroke or heart attack, causes irreversible damage to oxygen-starved brain tissue.

Cortex, based in Irvine, develops drugs for the treatment of age-related neurological diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease. Alkermes specializes in therapeutic products for central nervous system disorders.