NEW YORK, Aug. 5, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Prana Biotechnology (Nasdaq:PRAN) (ASX:PBT) today announced that it has secured a key patent protecting its clinical drug asset PBT2, with the European Patent Office issuing a notice of Decision to Grant in Europe. The patent entitled '8-Hydroxyquinoline derivatives' covers the composition of matter of selected families of 8-Hydroxyquinoline compounds, including PBT2 and the uses of such compounds for the treatment of neurological diseases, including Alzheimer's Disease and Huntington's Disease.
The European patent has a twenty year term expiring on 16 July 2023, with a possible extension of term of up to 5 years under supplementary protection provisions.
Prana's lead Alzheimer's Disease compound, PBT2, has already completed a Phase IIa study in early Alzheimer's Disease patients and has demonstrated safety and tolerability. In addition, PBT2 showed improvement in executive function, an important aspect of cognitive performance, and reduced the levels of Abeta in the spinal fluid of patients. Abeta is a key protein associated with Alzheimer's Disease.
The trial results were published in The Lancet Neurology journal as well as presented at this year's International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease.
PBT2 has been designed to be a disease modifying drug that prevents the formation of toxic forms of the Abeta protein in the synapses of the brain and to improve neurotransmission, resulting in improved cognition.
Geoffrey Kempler, Prana's CEO, said, "The decision of the European Office to grant this patent further protects Prana's valuable clinical asset PBT2, and well positions us to enter larger clinical trials and advance towards commercialization with the aim of having the first disease modifying drug and provide hope to millions of Alzheimer's sufferers and their families."
About Prana Biotechnology Limited
Prana Biotechnology was established to commercialise research into Alzheimer's Disease and other major age-related neurodegenerative disorders. The Company was incorporated in 1997 and listed on the Australian Stock Exchange in March 2000 and listed on NASDAQ in September 2002. Researchers at prominent international institutions including The University of Melbourne, The Mental Health Research Institute (Melbourne) and Massachusetts General Hospital, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, contributed to the discovery of Prana's technology.
For further information please visit the Company's web site at www.pranabio.com.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The Company has tried to identify such forward-looking statements by use of such words as "expects," "intends," "hopes," "anticipates," "believes," "could," "may," "evidences" and "estimates," and other similar expressions, but these words are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements. Such statements include, but are not limited to any statements relating to the Company's drug development program, including, but not limited to the initiation, progress and outcomes of clinical trials of the Company's drug development program, including, but not limited to, PBT2, and any other statements that are not historical facts. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, those risks and uncertainties relating to the difficulties or delays in financing, development, testing, regulatory approval, production and marketing of the Company's drug components, including, but not limited to, PBT2, the ability of the Company to procure additional future sources of financing, unexpected adverse side effects or inadequate therapeutic efficacy of the Company's drug compounds, including, but not limited to, PBT2, that could slow or prevent products coming to market, the uncertainty of patent protection for the Company's intellectual property or trade secrets, including, but not limited to, the intellectual property relating to PBT2, and other risks detailed from time to time in the filings the Company makes with Securities and Exchange Commission including its annual reports on Form 20-F and its reports on Form 6-K. Such statements are based on management's current expectations, but actual results may differ materially due to various factions including those risks and uncertainties mentioned or referred to in this press release. Accordingly, you should not rely on those forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual future results.