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Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Intellect Neurosciences, Inc. and Medical Research Council Technology (U.K.) Reach Important Milestone in Generating an Alzheimer's Therapeutic AntibodyIntellect Neurosciences, Inc. and Medical Research Council Technology (U.K.) Reach
Important Milestone in Generating an Alzheimer's Therapeutic Antibody
Tuesday June 24, 6:00 am ET
NEW YORK, June 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Intellect Neurosciences, Inc. (OTC Bulletin
Board: ILNS - News) and MRC Technology (MRCT) announced today they have achieved an
important milestone through their collaborative efforts to humanize Intellect's lead antibody INN01
necessary for creating a therapeutic antibody for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The
antibody is intended to be used to promote clearance from the brain of beta amyloid, the toxin
that leads to Alzheimer's disease. IN-N01 is Intellect's first drug candidate based on the
technology invented by Dr. Daniel Chain, the Company's Chairman and CEO.
Dr. Chain commented: "IN-N01 is designed to specifically block the neurotoxicity of beta
amyloid, which accumulates in the brains of Alzheimer's patients, while minimizing the potential
for adverse effects." Dr. Chain added: "IN-N01 is similar to Bapineuzumab being developed
independently by Wyeth and Elan Pharma International Ltd. (Elan) in that it binds the same
portion of the toxin, but we are engineering IN-N01 with the aim of reducing its potential to
cause inflammation in the brain and so increase the dose at which it can be administered safely.
The effectiveness of our strategy will ultimately be tested in patient clinical trials. The recent
announcement by Wyeth and Elan of positive Top Line Phase 2 data in a subset of patients is
encouraging for this prototype drug and also opens a large window of opportunity for Intellect to
develop next generation molecules. We hope that IN-N01 will be the Best-in-Class of the
ANTISENILIN® antibody family and useful to treat a potentially broader population of
Alzheimer's patients."
Intellect recently announced that it has granted a royalty-bearing license to Wyeth and Elan
Pharma International Ltd. (Elan) regarding patents and patent applications related to antibodies
and methods of treatment for Alzheimer's disease including a co-exclusive license to
Bapineuzumab under the ANTISENILIN® patents.
"Mouse antibodies such as the precursor of IN-N01 are recognized as intrinsically immunogenic,
and therefore must undergo a process of humanization to create a therapeutic antibody,"
explained Dr. Tarran Jones, Therapeutic Antibody Group Director, MRCT. Dr. Jones
commented, "We applied our expertise to create a detailed molecular model of IN-N01 to better
understand which framework amino acids are important for the optimal activity and safety of the
molecule. This work will be critical to the development of IN-N01 as a therapeutic antibody."
About Intellect's Immunotherapy Platforms for Alzheimer's disease
Immunotherapy for Alzheimer's disease involves making an antibody molecule available to bind
to the endogenous beta-amyloid toxin, thus promoting its clearance away from the brain. This
therapeutic outcome can be achieved either by provoking the patient's immune system to
generate such an antibody (active immunization) or by administering an externally generated
antibody (passive immunization). Both approaches have the potential to slow or arrest disease
progression provided that key safety issues are addressed. Intellect has incorporated proprietary
safety features into its ANTISENILIN and RECALL-VAX(TM) technology platforms for both
passive and active immunization, respectively. These features and supporting patent position
provide the Company with a strong competitive advantage in this field.
About Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, is characterized by progressive loss of
memory and cognition, ultimately leading to complete debilitation and death. A hallmark feature
of Alzheimer's pathology is the presence of insoluble protein deposits known as beta-amyloid on
the surface of nerve cells, which results from the accumulation of soluble beta-amyloid in the
brain. The effects of the disease are devastating to the patients as well as the caregivers, with
significant associated health care costs. It is estimated that there are over 12 million people
suffering from Alzheimer's disease in the developed countries with the number increasing also in
developing countries as the global population ages. Currently marketed drugs transiently affect
some of the symptoms of the disease, but there are no drugs on the market today that slow or
arrest the progression of the disease. These symptomatic drugs are projected to generate
approximately $4 billion in sales by 2008, indicating both the size of the market and the demand
for effective treatment beyond symptomatic improvements.
About Intellect Neurosciences, Inc.
Intellect Neurosciences, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and
development of disease-modifying therapeutic agents for the treatment and prevention of
Alzheimer's disease and other disorders. The company has a broad proprietary immunotherapy
platform for both passive and active immunization against Alzheimer's disease. Also, Intellect
has recently completed Phase I clinical trials for OXIGON(TM), a unique antioxidant and antiamyloid
compound that has potential to treat Alzheimer's disease and other disorders.
For additional information, please visit http://www.intellectns.com, or contact:
Elliot Maza, JD, CPA
President & Chief Financial Officer Intellect Neurosciences, Inc.
7 West 18th Street, 9th Floor New York, NY 10011,
USA Tel: 212-448-9300
About Medical Research Council Technology
MRCT is the exclusive commercialization catalyst for the UK Medical Research Council (MRC),
working to translate cutting edge scientific discoveries into commercial products. MRCT bridges
the gap between innovative basic science and making medicine. By providing both chemical
tools and antibody therapeutic antibody candidates, MRCT gives pharmaceutical and
biotechnology companies new starting points for discovery and development based on MRC
advances in science.
MRCT's Therapeutic Antibody Group (TAG) scientists have a proven track record of success in
antibody humanization, which extends over 18 years and has produced 8 clinical candidates and
two regulatory approved humanized antibodies. For additional information please visit
http://www.mrctechnology.org.
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