19th May 2008 07:00
Verona Pharma plc ("Verona Pharma" or the "Company") Planned anti-asthma and hay fever treatment passes crucial tests
A new treatment for respiratory diseases such as asthma and hay fever has passed pivotal safety and toxicology tests to establish it can be given to man in clinical trials.
The compound, RPL554, has been developed by AIM-quoted Verona Pharma plc as an alternative to steroids and beta agonists, which are currently widely used, but are associated with unwanted side effects.
Verona Pharma is now completing the documentation needed to obtain regulatory approval for the commencement of a combined Phase 1 and Phase 2a trial, designed to show safety and early indications of effectiveness.
Should the Phase 1/2a clinical trial prove successful, the Company plans to license RPL554 to a major pharmaceutical group that services a global market for respiratory treatments estimated to be worth in excess of US$30 billion per year.
RPL554 is the invention of Sir David Jack, the former GlaxoSmithKline Research Director who pioneered many of the leading respiratory drugs in use today, such as the asthma drug, salbutamol, known by the brand name Ventolin.
The positive results from the pre-clinical safety and toxicology studies were obtained from exposure studies carried out by LAB Research Inc. of Hungary over the past few months. Verona Pharma is currently in the process of appointing a clinical trials unit to perform the proposed clinical proof of concept trial in man.
For further information contact:
Professor Clive Page, Chairman, Verona Pharma plc: 07971 504931
David Youngman, WH Ireland Ltd: 0161 832 2174
Allan Piper, First City Financial Public Relations: 020 7242 2666
About Verona Pharma plc (www.veronapharma.com )
Verona Pharma plc (AIM:VRP) is an AIM-quoted drug discovery company that is focused on finding new therapeutic drugs for the treatment of allergic rhinitis (hay fever) and other chronic respiratory diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as well as chronic inflammatory diseases.
Globally, these diseases are costing in excess of US$30 billion per annum to treat, and while they are among the most prevalent diseases in the industrialised world, many of the available treatments have unwanted side effects, and/or limited effectiveness.
Verona Pharma was admitted to AIM in September 2006, and is run by two of the world experts in pharmacology and drug discovery. Dr Michael Walker is Emeritus Professor of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics at the University of British Columbia, and a founder of other biotech, and biotech related companies. Chairman Dr Clive Page is a Professor of Pharmacology at King's College London, and an internationally-recognised authority in lung diseases and inflammation.
Verona Pharma's compound RPL554 is a bronchodilator/anti-inflammatory drug being developed for the treatment of hay fever and asthma. Through the use of two natural enzymes, called phosphodiesterase 3 (PDE3) and phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4), RPL554 targets the underlying cause of respiratory diseases by dilating the bronchial passages and blocking inflammation.
RPL554 does not involve steroids or beta agonists that form the basis of most current treatments, but which have unwanted side effects. RPL554 is expected to have long duration of action and will be administered nasally thereby preventing gastrointestinal problems often resulting from orally administered PDE4 anti-inflammatory drugs.
Separately, Verona Pharma is also seeking to develop an anti-tussive drug that works to suppress the generation of a cough signal at the nerve endings in the lungs. The Company's longer term focus is to develop novel polysaccharides (NAIPS) as potential anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of respiratory allergies, asthma and other inflammatory diseases.
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