Orexo receives European patent approval for OX 17

Orexo receives European patent approval for OX 17

Orexo has been informed by the European patent authority that Orexo's patent for
the combination concept for the treatment of GERD - gastroesophageal reflux
disease - has been granted and will be published on May 30, 2007. The patent is
a formulation patent protecting combinations of H2-receptor blockers and proton
pump inhibitors (PPI). The patent has previously been approved in China,
Australia and New Zealand, and patent is pending in the North-American market.

The OX 17 product candidate targets the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux
disease (GERD), a disease caused by recurrent acid reflux. OX 17 quickly and
effectively impedes the stomach´s production of hydrochloric acid, an essential
step for effective symptom relief in patients suffering from reflux disease. The
competitive advantage of OX 17 is the fast, effective and sustained inhibition
of gastric acid production. 

”This is strategically a very important patent for Orexo. The commercial
potential, market size, OX 17's unique profile combined with the strength in a
broad patent, is of great value for us during negotiations with potential
development and commercialization partners. Our ambition is to out-license OX 17
during 2007”, says Zsolt Lavotha, President and CEO Orexo AB. 

The clinical Phase III program for OX 17 is ongoing. Patents are previously
approved in China, Australia and New Zealand, and patent is pending in the
North-American market. 


For more information, please contact: 
Zsolt Lavotha, President & CEO, Tel: +46 (0)18-780 88 12, e-mail:
zsolt.lavotha@orexo.se 

Claes Wenthzel, Executive Vice President and CFO, Orexo AB 
+46 (0)18 780 88 44, +46 (0)708-62 01 22, e-mail: claes.wenthzel@orexo.se 


TO THE EDITORS 

About Orexo 
Orexo is a pharmaceutical company that focuses on developing new pharmaceutical
drugs within areas currently subject to considerable clinical needs. Orexo´s
products are based on existing pharmaceuticals and the company´s patented
drug-delivery technologies. Orexo applies its broad expertise in medicine and
pharmacy to the further development of existing pharmaceutical substances. By
combining well-documented compounds with its own patented drug-delivery methods
and its unique expertise in dry formulations (for example, tablets), Orexo is
able to develop new patented pharmaceuticals. 

At present, the company has two products on the market, three projects in late
clinical phase - one of which has been out-licensed in the US, Europe and Japan
and submitted for registration in Europe - and two projects in the
pharmaceutical formulation phase. Orexo has an active intellectual property
rights strategy and an extensive patent portfolio to protect its products and
technologies. 

Orexo is listed on the OMX Nordic List Mid Cap (ticker: ORX). 
www.orexo.com 

About drug delivery 
The science of drug delivery can be summarized as the process of ensuring that
the active substance in a pharmaceutical product is optimally delivered to the
site of action. The demand for drug-delivery products is increasing rapidly due
to the fact that these new pharmaceuticals can for example offer shorter time to
onset of effect or improved safety profiles. 

Many pharmaceutical products on the market today have shortcomings - for
example, they are slow-acting, have side effects, must be administered
frequently or perhaps can only be injected. This is why demand for technologies
that can make already existing products more efficient is increasing rapidly. In
2004, industry sources estimated that sales of pharmaceutical products that
utilize drug-delivery methods exceeded USD 79 billion, a figure that is expected
to grow to USD 117 billion by 2009 (Datamonitor 2004).