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----- Original Message ----- From: "rayilynlee" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Monday, June 16, 2008 2:21 PM Subject: More on Azilect > Teva, Lundbeck say Azilect slows Parkinson's > > Reuters - 41 minutes ago > TEL AVIV/STOCKHOLM, June 16 - Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd revealed > positive results on Monday for its Azilect Parkinson's treatment, boosting > its shares and those of Danish partner Lundbeck . > Tel Aviv-traded shares in Teva jumped 3.2 percent while Lundbeck was up > 3.7 percent at 1336 GMT. > Teva, the world's biggest maker of generic drugs, said it intends to > submit these results to the regulatory authorities in the United States > and Europe. > It said the 1 mg tablets of its Azilect drug slowed the progression of > Parkinson's disease in a Phase III trial. It promotes the drug with > Lundbeck in the three major European markets: Britain, Germany and France. > Teva and Lundbeck said 1 mg tablets of Azilect met all three primary end > points in the trial, as well as the secondary and additional end points, > all with statistical significance. > The study also confirmed the safety and tolerability of Azilect and based > on these results, Azilect could become the first Parkinson's disease > treatment to receive an indication for slowing the progress of the > disease, the companies said. > "These positive results could dramatically increase the market potential > for Azilect, allowing Azilect to join Copaxone as another major Teva drug > for neurological disorders," Shlomo Yanai, president and chief executive > of Teva, said in a statement. > Teva's Copaxone became the No. 1 global treatment for multiple sclerosis > in the first quarter. > "Azilect, an innovative drug that was not very significant, becomes a drug > with the potential to be a blockbuster," said Gal Reiter, an analyst at > Israeli brokerage Clal Finance. > SALES TO JUMP > Global sales of Azilect rose 50 percent in the first quarter from a year > earlier to $37.5 million. It sales were $120 million in 2007. > "If in the past we estimated the potential sales of the drug at $300 > million, now we estimate that the potential has at least doubled," Reiter > said. > "However, it will take time until Azilect's impact becomes substantial." > The analyst noted that while Azilect's patent runs until 2012, this > clinical trial could enable an extension until 2017. > Bank Hapoalim analyst Gilad Sarig estimated Azilect's potential sales at > $1 billion. > "It is expected to become the leading drug in the Parkinson's market > within a few years," he said in a research note, adding he is not changing > his forecasts for the company until the timetable with the FDA becomes > clear. > The study protocol was based on the recommendations and guidance of the > U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The 18-month study, the first of its > kind, is one of the largest conducted in Parkinson's disease, involving > 1,176 patients with early Parkinson's disease in 14 countries and 129 > medical centres. > Teva also said the 2 mg dose in the study met two of the three primary end > points as well as the secondary end point. It was also found to be safe > and well tolerated. > Rayilyn Brown > Director AZNPF > Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation > [log in to unmask] > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: > mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn