BELLUS Health : launch of NRM8499 Phase I clinical study for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease

April 1, 2010 - BELLUS Health Inc. (TSX: BLU) ("BELLUS Health" or the "Company") announced that, on March 30, 2010, the Company initiated a Phase I clinical study for NRM8499, a prodrug of tramiprosate. NRM8499 is intended for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study will investigate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetic profile of NRM8499 in a group of up to 84 young and elderly healthy subjects.

NRM8499 was previously identified by BELLUS Health as a compound which increases the brain exposure to tramiprosate. Preclinical studies conducted in rodents showed that NRM8499 increased plasma and brain exposure to tramiprosate by 1.5 to 3 fold. The Company believes that an increase in the exposure of tramiprosate to the brain may help improve the therapeutic effect on cognitive function and other clinical outcomes in Alzheimer's disease.

"We are very excited about the launch of the NRM8499 Phase I clinical study. The knowledge acquired through the tramiprosate development program concerning this compound, along with our enhanced understanding of Alzheimer's disease acquired through more than 15 years of preclinical and clinical research in this field, leads us to believe that the potential for NRM8499 is extremely promising,"... BELLUS Health's Press Release -

Takeda & Janssen : About Agreement Reached to Co-market R113675 (Galantamine Hydrobromide), a Treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease

April 1, 2010 --- Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (“Takeda”) announced that it has signed an agreement dated March 31, 2010 with JANSSEN PHARMACEUTICAL K.K. (Head Office: Tokyo, President: Toon Overstijns, hereinafter called “Janssen Pharma”) and Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V. (Head Office: Belgium, Managing Director: Tom Heyman) regarding co-marketing in Japan of galantamine (R113675), which is a drug for Alzheimer's Disease and chemically known as galantamine hydrobromide (hereinafter called “galantamine”).


Following the development of galantamine by Janssen Pharmaceutica, for the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease in Japan, Janssen Pharma submitted an application for approval to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in February 2010.


Once approved, Takeda and Janssen Pharma will co-market galantamine under the same brand name... Takeda's Press Release - JANSSEN PHARMACEUTICAL K.K.'s Press Release [Japanese] -

Sanofi-aventis : exclusive global licensing agreement with The Rockefeller University

December 3, 2009 - Development of a monoclonal antibody for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease - Sanofi-aventis (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY) announced an exclusive global licensing agreement with The Rockefeller University (New York, NY) concerning a novel monoclonal antibody, targeting certain specific forms of the Amyloid Beta parenchymal plaque for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

The anti-Amyloid Beta (ABeta) antibody therapy is a highly attractive approach to prevent and reverse the amyloid plaque formation which may lead to cognitive improvement in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. This antibody is planned to enter development at the end of 2009.

“It’s a great pleasure to interact with The Rockefeller University and in particular with Dr. Jeffrey Ravetch, a worldwide expert in the engineering of mAb Fc region and effector functions”... Sanofi-aventis' Press Release -

Idera Pharmaceuticals and Merck & Co., Inc. : Extend Research Collaboration for Agonists of Toll-like Receptors as Vaccine Adjuvants

Nov. 25, 2009-- Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: IDRA) announced that Merck & Co., Inc., through an affiliate, has extended its research collaboration with Idera for a fourth year. In December 2006, the companies entered into an exclusive license and research collaboration agreement to research, develop, and commercialize vaccine products containing the Company’s investigational agonist compounds targeting Toll-like Receptors (TLRs) 7, 8, and 9 in the fields of oncology, infectious diseases, and Alzheimer’s disease. As part of the agreement, the two companies engaged in a two-year research and development collaboration to generate novel agonists targeting TLR7 and TLR8 and incorporating both Merck and Idera chemistry for use in vaccines in the licensed fields, with Merck having the right to extend the collaboration for two additional one-year periods.


“During the first three years of our agreement, scientists at Idera and Merck have created a large portfolio of novel agonists of TLRs 7, 8, and 9 using Idera’s chemistry-based approach together with Merck’s innovations in chemistry and adjuvant formulation,”... Idera Pharmaceuticals' Press Release -

Metabolic Solutions Development Company To Test Potential Treatment For Alzheimer’s

Oct. 12, 2009 – Metabolic Solutions Development Company (MSDC) announced that it has received a $100,000 grant from the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) to support the evaluation of PPAR-sparing insulin sensitizers as a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.
ADDF funding will support a collaboration between Dr. Douglas Feinstein (Jesse Brown VA Medical Center and University of Illinois at Chicago) and MSDC. Feinstein’s research focuses on neurodegenerative diseases while MSDC is developing novel treatments for type 2 diabetes and related metabolic diseases.
“Initial findings in our ongoing research suggest that some insulin sensitizers, including MSDC’s lead compound MSDC-0160, currently in Phase II studies for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, might slow down the buildup of plaques in the brains of mice,”... [PDF] Metabolic Solutions Development Company's -

Antigenics : Expansion of its QS-21 License Agreement

September 21, 2009 — Antigenics Inc. (NASDAQ: AGEN) announced that the company has signed an amended and restated license agreement for the use of the QS-21 adjuvant in a vaccine under development by JANSSEN Alzheimer Immunotherapy, a company which has acquired substantially all of the assets and rights of Elan related to its Alzheimer's Immunotherapy Program (AIP).


“Alzheimer's disease is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States, and the incidence of this disease is expected to rise globally.” said Garo H. Armen, PhD, chairman and CEO of Antigenics. “Today's announcement underscores the importance of QS-21, which is being tested in multiple indications by our licensees, including four Phase 3 programs in lung cancer, malaria, melanoma and an undisclosed infectious disease. QS-21 is enabling a new generation of vaccines to be developed and is expected to become a significant contributor to Antigenics' future royalty income, with the first vaccine potentially on the market by 2011.”... Antigenics' Press Release -

INVENT Pharma : American Diversified Holdings Biotech Alliance Partner INVENT Pharmaceuticals Granted US Provisional Patent for Alzheimer's Drug

Sep 15 2009 - American Diversified Holdings Corporation (ADHC) Strategic Alliance partner INVENT Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted its provisional patent application US 61/271,720 on novel drug candidates for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and age-related cognitive and memory impairment. Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder affecting nearly 37 million people worldwide. The estimated overall annual cost of patient care in the US alone is over $100 billion with over $5 billion in pharmaceutical costs. More than half of the individuals over age 85 and one in ten over age 65 will suffer from Alzheimer’s disease and related cognition and memory dysfunction. Alzheimer’s disease is the gradual loss of cognitive function related to memory, reasoning, judgment and orientation... American Diversified Holdings Corporation's Press Release -

QR Pharma : Clinical Trial for Cognitively Impaired Patients

February 10, 2010: QR Pharma, Inc. (QR), a developer of novel drugs to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD), announced that it began a clinical trial of its lead compound, Posiphen®, in early stage AD patients.

Posiphen®, a small orally active compound, has been shown in cell cultures of normal mice, AD transgenic mice and Down Syndrome (DS) mice to reduce the synthesis of amyloid-b precursor protein (APP) which is cleaved into a number of toxic peptides. These peptides include amyloid-b42 (Ab42), that attacks multiple pathways of neuronal cell life, inducing dysfunction, neuronal cell death and neuroinflammation, and leading to cognitive impairment and neurodegeneration.

The trial will measure in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood plasma of amnestic mild cognitively impaired (MCI) patients the biochemical changes that are associated with AD and correlate them with the pharmacokinetics of the drug and its metabolites.

Recent reports suggest high endogenous variability of Aß peptides between subjects. Therefore, the company decided to use subjects as their own controls. Amnestic MCI patients will receive Posiphen® at 240 mg/ day for 10 days (4x60 mg was found in a multiple dose safety study to be well tolerated in elderly healthy volunteers). Serial CSF samples will be collected via indwelling lumbar catheter for 12 hours one day before the start of dosing and after the last dose. Plasma samples will be taken at the same sampling times. CSF and plasma/serum samples will be analyzed for Posiphen®, metabolites and soluble a and ßAPP, Aß 40/42 and other AD associated markers... QR Pharma's Press Release -