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NeuroSearch's associated company NsGene A/S starts Phase Ib clinical study with NsG0202 for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease
BALLERUP, Denmark | December 12, 2007 | NsGene A/S, 25% owned by NeuroSearch, has received final approval for the initiation of a Phase Ib clinical study with its drug candidate NsG0202 for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The Phase Ib study will be carried out at the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden and the first patients will be treated in the beginning of 2008. The study is expected to run for one year.
NsG0202 consists of an implantable biodelivery device containing encapsulated living cells (EC) that secrete nerve growth factor (NGF). NGF has shown neuroprotective and regenerative effects when delivered to relevant areas of the brain, and NsG0202 is aimed at treating the progressive dementia associated with Alzheimer's disease.
NsG0202 is the first in NsGene's pipeline of disease-modifying products expected to enter into clinical trials for neurological disorders over the next two years. All these products are based on NsGene's strong and broadly patented EC biodelivery platform. This advanced biodelivery technique represents a novel treatment method, and the EC biodelivery products are aimed not only at alleviating disease symptoms, but at restoring brain functions. The technique also offers great safety advantages over direct gene therapy approaches, as well as technical and functional advantages over pump technologies. Thereby, NsGene's novel approach may constitute a breakthrough in the treatment of severe diseases of the central nervous system, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and other severe neurological diseases like epilepsy
Teit E. Johansen, President & CEO of NsGene, commented: “This landmark achievement brings NsGene a step closer to a breakthrough for a treatment of this devastating disease (Alzheimer's) and, by entering the clinic, the company has risen to the next level of corporate development including partnering opportunities for a maximal exploitation of our NsG0202 product.”
NeuroSearch (NEUR) is a Scandinavian biopharmaceutical company listed on the OMX Nordic Exchange Copenhagen A/S. The company's core business covers thedevelopment of novel drugs, based on a broad and well-established drug discovery platform focusing on ion channels and CNS disorders. A substantial part of the activities are partner financed through a broad alliance with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and collaborations with among others Abbott and Astellas. The drug pipeline comprises 11 clinical (Phase I-III) development programmes: ACR16 in Huntington's disease (Phase III in preparation), tesofensine in obesity (Phase III in preparation), NS2359 in depression (Phase II) and ADHD (Phase II) in partnership with GSK, NS1209 in epilepsy and pain (Phase II), ABT-894 in ADHD (Phase II) and pain (Phase II) in partnership with Abbott, ACR16 in schizophrenia (Phase I) in partnership with Astellas, ACR325 in bipolar disorder and Parkinson's disease (Phase I) and ABT-107 as well as ABT-560 for the treatment of various CNS diseases - both (Phase I) in collaboration with Abbott as well as NSD-644 (Phase I) in collaboration with GSK. In addition, NeuroSearch has a broad portfolio of preclinical drug candidates and holds equity interests in several biotech companies.
SOURCE: Neurosearch A/S |
