Presents data at XVIII WFN Wo

RNS Number : 0314E

Phytopharm PLC

14 December 2009

 



Phytopharm to present data at XVIII WFN World Congress on Parkinson's Disease and Related Disorders in Miami

GODMANCHESTER, Cambridgeshire, U.K. (14 December 2009) - Phytopharm plc (LSE: PYM) ("Phytopharm" or the "Company") announces that Dr Jonathan Brotchie will present data from a "gold-standard" non-clinical study of Cogane™, a promising novel oral treatment for Parkinson's disease, at the 50th WFN World Congress on Parkinson's Disease and Related Disorders, which is taking place in Miami from 13 - 16 December. 

The outcome of this study, an overall 43% decrease in parkinsonian symptoms over 18 weeks administration of Cogane™, was first reported by Phytopharm on 14 October 2009 along with the results of a successful safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetic trial in healthy volunteers and patients with Parkinson's disease. 

Dr Brotchie, a senior scientist at Toronto Western Hospital, who conducted the trials, is a recognised expert in the field of Parkinson's disease and runs one of the world's premier research laboratories for the identification of novel treatments, diagnostics and cures for Parkinson's disease and related disorders. 

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Notes to Editors

About Phytopharm

Phytopharm is focused on the development of its pharmaceutical programmes and has a residual portfolio of functional foods. The Company's products are developed predominantly from medicinal plants, thereby reducing the development risk of a product. The Company has focused its research and development activities on areas of high unmet health needs to deliver cures and relieve suffering for longer healthier lives. As a virtual company, the Company's business model is centered on a lean cash burn with all laboratory, manufacturing and clinical work outsourced to specialists, while core competencies such as strategy and management are maintained in-house. Close collaboration with charitable organisations enhances the Company's interaction with scientists and clinicians, who lead and develop expert opinion. Cash grants from them accelerate the Company's development programmes, thereby increasing their value.

About Cogane™

Cogane™ is a novel small molecule, orally bioavailable neurotrophic factor inducer that readily crosses the blood brain barrier. In preclinical studies, Cogane™ stimulates the release of neurotrophic factors and increases neurite outgrowth. Importantly, Cogane™ also reverses the decrease of neurotrophic factors and reverses dopaminergic neuronal degeneration observed in vitro. When administered orally in several different preclinical models of Parkinson's disease, Cogane™ reverses the loss of dopaminergic neurones and elevates GDNF. Cogane™ restores the learning and memory ability in Alzheimer's disease preclinical models and thereby offers longer term the potential to arrest or reverse the progression of Alzheimer's disease. 

About Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease is a movement disorder characterised by muscle rigidity, tremor, a slowing of physical movement (bradykinesia) and, in extreme cases, a loss of physical movement (akinesia). The primary symptoms are the result of altered signalling in an area of the brain, the striatum, which is responsible for the control of movement. This is caused by degeneration of dopaminergic neurones between the striatum and the substantia nigra part of the brain, leading to insufficient formation and action of dopamine. Parkinson's disease is therefore termed a neurodegenerative disease. The disease is slow in onset and the appearance of symptoms reflects the gradual loss of dopaminergic neurones. The prevalence of Parkinson's disease globally is expected to increase to approximately 9 million people by 2030 (Source: Neurology). In the US alone, there are estimated to be 1.5 million patients diagnosed with Parkinson's disease (Source: American Parkinson's Disease Association), with associated healthcare costs of $25 billion (Source: Northwest Parkinson's Foundation submission to US Congress). Parkinson's disease can affect people of any age, though the incidence is higher in older people. The cause of Parkinson's disease in the majority of cases is unknown. Possible mechanisms include oxidative damage of nerve cells coupled with loss of neurotrophic factors such as GDNF.

Phytopharm is listed on the Official List of the London Stock Exchange. Further information on Phytopharm is available from the Company's website www.phytopharm.com

 

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