Bionomics Limited announced that as part of its broader pipeline expansion strategy and based on anti-anxiety signals in Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) patients, it has decided to proceed with evaluating its lead clinical compound, BNC210, for acute treatment of Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) with a planned commencement of a clinical trial by the end of this year. BNC210 is an oral proprietary selective negative allosteric modulator of the a7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor in development for the treatment of anxiety and trauma- and stressor-related disorders. A previous in-clinic Phase 2a study in GAD patients demonstrated that single dose administration of the liquid suspension formulation of BNC210 showed significant anti-anxiety signals as measured in brain imaging and behavioural studies, but without evidence of sedation or addictive potential. However, the slow absorption of the liquid suspension formulation of BNC210 and the requirement for it to be taken with food for optimal absorption, would limit its use in "real world" situations for the acute treatment of anxiety. A new solid dose tablet formulation of BNC210 has been developed showing much improved and rapid absorption and plan to use the tablet formulation for the Phase 2 acute treatment clinical trial in SAD patients. The Phase 2 SAD trial protocol has been developed with input from Bionomics' Clinical Advisory Board members and will compare BNC210 to placebo on anxiety levels using the Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDS) during an anxiety-provoking behavioural task following a single dose treatment with the study drug. Drug product has already been manufactured and study start-up activities are underway. It is anticipated that approximately 15 sites in the U.S. will be involved in the trial, recruiting approximately 150 patients suffering with SAD.