Pharmalink AB Receives Patent for Nefecon(R) Principle
– Japanese Grant Supports Asian Partnering Programme
Pharmalink AB announced today that it has been granted Japanese Patent No
4326696, “Methods and means for treating glomerulonephritis” for its product
Nefecon(R) which is being developed to treat IgA nephropathy, a
glomerulonephritis leading to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Counterparts of
the patent have been issued for other territories including the EU, US and
Pharmalink’s Managing Director
protection for the Nefecon(R) principle in the major pharmaceutical markets.
We are particularly happy about the addition of
seeking product development partners for
Nefecon(R) as
IgA nephropathy. With strengthened product protection we are even better
positioned to attract partners and thereby reach out to patients in
Pharmalink AB previously announced highly promising results from a
planned interim analysis of an ongoing open Phase II trial which was designed
to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Nefecon(R) in IgA nephropathy, a
glomerulonephritis leading to end-stage renal disease. The interim results
were confirmed in the final results obtained in early 2009. Nefecon(R) is an
oral small molecule product which downregulates the inflammatory process in
the kidneys. It is being co-developed by Pharmalink and Archimedes Pharma
under a partnership agreed in
proof-of-concept.
The concept underlying the renal disease product candidate Nefecon is a
patented invention by Professors
TARGIT(R) drug delivery technology which enables the localized delivery of
drugs to the lower small intestine or colonic regions of the gut. Archimedes
is providing access to the TARGIT platform and providing all trial supplies
of Nefecon. Pharmalink is responsible for the management of the clinical
trials.
About Pharmalink
Pharmalink AB is a privately held Swedish specialty pharma company that
develops proprietary pharmaceutical products in fields of unmet medical need.
Pharmalink has adopted a reformulation/repurposing strategy and has a vast
international network of physicians, biotech companies, CMOs, CROs and
specialist consultants. Pharmalink has a track record of introducing more
than 15 pharmaceutical products to market. Pharmalink currently has three
clinical phase development projects mature for out-licensing: Nefecon(R), an
effective treatment of IgA nephropathy; Xepol(R), the first effective
treatment of neurology indication post-polio syndrome; and Busulipo(TM), a
safer alternative for myeloablation prior to bone marrow transplantation.
Pharmalink also seeks to refill its development pipeline by in-licensing.
About Archimedes Pharma
Archimedes Pharma (“Archimedes”) is a pan-European specialty
pharmaceutical company marketing and selling an expanding portfolio of
specialist products to hospital-based prescribers in major European
territories. Archimedes is also developing a robust, high value pipeline of
in-house products in pain, Parkinson’s disease and critical care. It applies
its world-class drug delivery technologies to proven molecules which have yet
to achieve their market potential due to their current mode of delivery. This
approach reduces the company’s development risk, while delivering significant
clinical and commercial benefits. The Group’s lead development product is
NasalFent(R), an innovative and highly differentiated fentanyl citrate nasal
spray, for the rapid relief of breakthrough cancer pain. Archimedes
technologies – ChiSys(R), PecSys(TM) and TARGIT(R) – are used in a number of
partnered products in late-stage clinical development. TARGIT is Archimedes’
proprietary technology for the delivery of drugs to specific regions of the
large intestine or the local treatment of disease, an area of great interest
to the pharmaceutical industry. The TARGIT system offers the option of
delivering high local concentrations of drug, which are ideal for the topical
treatment of diseases such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, irritable
bowel syndrome and bacterial infections. The ability of TARGIT to reliably
deliver drugs into the lower GIT has been demonstrated in numerous clinical
studies.
For further information, please contact:
Pharmalink:
Johan Haggblad, Managing Director, +46(0)70-668-0644
Email: johan.haggblad@pharmalink.se
http://www.pharmalink.se
Archimedes Pharma:
Michael Clark, +44-118-931-5077
http://www.archimedespharma.com
Citigate Dewe Rogerson (Pharmalink):
Chris Gardner/Nina Enegren, +44-207-638-9571
CapitalMSL (Archimedes):
Mary Clark, Tel: +44-207-3075330
SOURCE Pharmalink AB