Myriad Genetics' Alzheimer's Disease Drug Candidate Cuts Production of Key Senile Plaque Initiator
- New Study Strengthens Myriad's Strategy of Preventing Cognitive
Decline in Alzheimer's Disease -
SALT LAKE CITY, Aug. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
Myriad Genetics, Inc. (Nasdaq: MYGN), announced today that its Alzheimer's
disease candidate drug, MPC-7869 (R-flurbiprofen) reduces levels of Abeta42
more effectively than any other compound tested, according to a new study.
Abeta42 is the primary constituent of senile plaques that accumulate in the
brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease. It is thought to be the key
initiator of Alzheimer's disease since this peptide has the tendency to
aggregate, cause neuronal damage and initiate amyloid deposits in the brain.
Myriad believes that lowering the toxic Abeta42 peptide is a highly promising
area of anti-Alzheimer's disease drug development, and MPC-7869 is now in a
200-patient Phase II human clinical trial.
The study was led by Jason Eriksen, Ph.D., a member of the research group
headed by Todd Golde, M.D., Ph.D., of Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville together with
collaborators from the research group headed by Edward Koo, Ph.D., at the
University of California, San Diego, and product development scientists Kevin
Jessing, Ph.D. and Kenton Zavitz, Ph.D. of Myriad Genetics. The results of
the study were reported in an article published in the August 2003 issue of
the Journal of Clinical Investigation, 112(3):440-449,
http://www.jci.org/cgi/reprint/112/3/440 entitled, "NSAIDs and Enantiomers of
Flurbiprofen Target Gamma-Secretase and Lower Abeta42 In Vivo". The study
demonstrates that only a select minority of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs (NSAIDs) lower levels of the Abeta42 peptide, and among those few
compounds, R-flurbiprofen was shown to be most effective by selectively
targeting gamma-secretase without inhibiting its essential biological
functions, and exhibiting an unequalled ability to lower Abeta42 in vitro and
in an animal model. The study concludes that, "Because R-flurbiprofen reduces
Abeta42 levels by targeting gamma-secretase and has reduced side effects
related to inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX), it is an excellent candidate
for clinical testing as an Abeta42 lowering agent."
"We have long known that the use of NSAIDs is associated with a reduced
risk of Alzheimer's disease," said Adrian Hobden, Ph.D., President of Myriad
Pharmaceuticals, Inc. "Recently, this association has been shown to
correspond with some, but not all NSAIDs, and the recent failure of Naproxen
and Rofecoxib to prevent cognitive decline, reported in the Journal of the
American Medical Association, is a striking example of the selective
capability of this drug class. The lack of Abeta42 lowering in these two
compounds is consistent with, and was anticipated by, the widely held
hypothesis that Abeta42 is a chief culprit in Alzheimer's disease and that
reduction of Abeta42 is an essential feature of an NSAID's ability to prevent
the devastating cognitive decline of Alzheimer's disease."
Todd Golde, M.D., Ph.D., of Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, commented, "Only
eight of the twenty NSAIDs tested showed the ability to lower Abeta42 levels
in vitro and many of these drugs are known to have serious gastrointestinal
side effects associated with COX inhibition. However, R-flurbiprofen does not
inhibit COX and has a pronounced ability to reduce levels of Abeta42, which
makes it stand apart from the drugs tested as a promising drug candidate for
lowering Abeta42 levels and potentially, the prevention of cognitive decline
in Alzheimer's disease."
Alzheimer's disease is an important focus of Myriad's drug development
efforts. Myriad is conducting a Phase II human clinical trial in Alzheimer's
disease that will assess the efficacy of MPC-7869 (R-flurbiprofen) in reducing
the cognitive decline in Alzheimer's patients. MPC-7869 has been shown to be
effective in lowering levels of Abeta42 in cellular assays and in animal
models. Myriad believes that MPC-7869 is the first well-tolerated drug that
inhibits the production of Abeta42 to be evaluated in a clinical trial for the
treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Myriad and Mayo Clinic are collaborating on
the development of novel Alzheimer's disease therapeutics based upon several
lead compounds that have been discovered at Mayo Clinic.
Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), 2003;289(21):2819-2826
About Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, and is
characterized by the loss of mental function. The disease affects 4.8 million
individuals in the United States alone, and over 25 million people worldwide.
Twenty-five percent of the population over age 75 is affected. Common
symptoms include a gradual loss of memory, problems with reasoning or
judgment, disorientation, difficulty in learning, loss of language skills, and
decline in the ability to perform routine tasks. The areas of the brain that
control memory and thinking skills are affected first, but as the disease
progresses, cells die in other regions of the brain. Eventually, the person
with Alzheimer's disease will need comprehensive nursing care. If the
individual has no other serious illness, the loss of brain function itself
will eventually cause death. There is a very large unmet need for treatments
that arrest cognitive decline and may prevent Alzheimer's disease. The most
commonly prescribed drugs to treat the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease are
acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. These drugs provide a temporary increase in
cognitive ability to patients but the course of the underlying disease is left
unchanged and cognitive decline soon continues. The United States market for
acetylcholinesterase inhibitors is estimated at $1.2 Billion per year.
Myriad Genetics, Inc. is a leading biopharmaceutical company focused on
the development of novel healthcare products. The Company develops and
markets proprietary predictive medicine and personalized medicine products,
and is developing and intends to market a number of promising therapeutic
products that address large potential markets. Myriad's news and other
information are available on the Company's Web site at www.myriad.com .
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including
statements relating to the role of Abeta42 in Alzheimer's disease and its
potential to lead to therapeutics to slow or prevent Alzheimer's disease and
the effectiveness of lowering Abeta42 in the prevention of, or in the slowing
of progression of, cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease. These forward
looking statements are based on management's current expectation and are
subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to
differ materially from those set forth or implied by forward-looking
statements. These include, but are not limited to, uncertainties as to the
extent of future government regulation of Myriad Genetics' business;
uncertainties as to whether Myriad Genetics and its collaborators will be
successful in developing, and obtaining regulatory approval for, and
commercial acceptance of, therapeutic compounds; the risk that markets will
not exist for therapeutic compounds that Myriad Genetics develops or if such
markets exist, that Myriad Genetics will not be able to sell compounds, which
it develops, at acceptable prices; and the risk that the Company will not able
to sustain revenue growth for its predictive medicine business and products.
These and other risks are identified in the Company's filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2002. All information in this
press release is as of August 5, 2003, and Myriad undertakes no duty to update
this information unless required by law.
SOURCE Myriad Genetics, Inc.
-0- 08/05/2003
/CONTACT: William A. Hockett, Vice President of Corporate Communications
of Myriad Genetics, Inc., +1-801-584-3600, bhockett@myriad.com /
/Web site: http://www.jci.org/cgi/reprint/112/3/440 /
/Web site: http://www.myriad.com /
(MYGN)
CO: Myriad Genetics, Inc.
ST: Utah
IN: MTC BIO HEA
SU: PDT
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0356 08/05/2003 06:30 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com
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