Company Press Release
SOURCE: NeoTherapeutics, Inc.
NeoTherapeutics Announces Issuance of New Patent on Treatment of
Neurodegenerative Diseases with Neurotrophic Factors
IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 8, 1998 /PRNewswire/ -- NeoTherapeutics, Inc.
announced today that the Company has been issued a new U.S. patent on
gene regulation technology involved in treating neurodegenerative
diseases.
U.S. Patent No. 5,801,184 describes how purine derivatives, a class of
drug compounds which includes
NeoTherapeutics' lead compound NEOTROFIN(TM) (AIT-082, leteprinim
potassium), can be used to selectively
control ``turning on or off of genes'' for the protein molecules
involved in nerve regeneration. This patent represents a
significant step forward in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases
utilizing a convenient oral medication to
replace or augment the presence of neurotrophic factors in the brain and
spinal cord.
``This patent represents an important milestone in the ongoing
development of our proprietary technology platform,''
commented Dr. Alvin Glasky, President, CEO and Chief Scientific Officer
of NeoTherapeutics and inventor of the
patent. ``AIT-082 has remarkable actions. It regulates the genetic
expression of several neurotrophic factors in
various areas of the brain and spinal cord. In each area, the factors it
induces are those naturally needed by the nerve
cells in that region. AIT-082 is the first drug in human clinical trials
which acts by regulating the production of the
naturally-occurring neurotrophic growth factors,'' he added. Dr. Glasky
further explained that the patent deals with
processes already being applied in clinical trials in humans. ``I am
delighted with the rate of progress of this
technology from the laboratory to the human clinical setting. It is
particularly rewarding that the advanced technology
described in this patent is already being utilized in patients suffering
from Alzheimer's disease in a phase 2 clinical
safety and efficacy trial.''
Neurotrophic factors are essential for the growth, maturation and
survival of nerve cells. When present in
appropriate concentrations, these factors also protect nerve cells
against damage in stroke, trauma, and many neurodegenerative disorders
including Alzheimer's and PARKINSON'S diseases. These factors are not
produced by the
nervous system in sufficient quantities to be fully effective in those
conditions, and, because neurotrophic factors are
proteins, they cannot be orally administered. These problems are
circumvented by NeoTherapeutics' new patent,
which describes a novel method for treating neurological disorders,
particularly neurodegenerative diseases.
NeoTherapeutics has developed an orally-active purine derivative,
NEOTROFIN(TM) (AIT-082), which controls
the genetic expression of neurotrophic factors in the nervous system to
treat neurodegenerative diseases.
Data on the actions of NEOTROFIN(TM) (AIT-082), both in the laboratory
and in clinical trials, will be presented
at the 1998 meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in Los Angeles on
November 10 and 11, 1998.
--
Judith Richards, London, Ontario, Canada
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