30th Jan 2008 11:03
BTG PLC30 January 2008 BTG plc commences first clinical study of novel migraine treatment London, UK, 30 January 2008: BTG plc (LSE: BGC), the life sciences company,today announces that BGC20-1531, a potential treatment for migraine headaches,has commenced clinical development. Dosing has begun in a randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled phase Istudy, which will assess the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetic profile ofsingle rising doses of oral BGC20-1531 in healthy volunteers. The trial alsoincorporates a number of pharmacodynamic endpoints which may help to predict theefficacious dose range for future phase II studies in patients. BTG licensed BGC20-1531 from Asterand plc (LSE: ATD) (formerly Pharmagene plc)under an exclusive agreement in 2006. On reaching this clinical milestone, BTGhas paid Asterand £250,000 as per the terms of the agreement. Louise Makin, BTG's chief executive officer, commented: "We are continuing tobuild our pipeline and are pleased that BGC20-1531 has become our fifth clinicaldevelopment programme. This is a novel approach to treating migraine, and may beof particular benefit to migraineurs who do not respond to or cannot toleratethe current treatments." Migraine headache is estimated to affect 10-20% of the world population and islisted by the World Health Organisation in the top 20 causes of disablingconditions, and in the top four neurological disabling conditions. The mostcommon current therapies for acute migraine are non-steroidal anti-inflammatorydrugs (NSAIDs) and triptans. However, many migraine sufferers do not experiencesufficient relief from these treatments or cannot tolerate theirgastrointestinal, cardiovascular and other side effects. Prostaglandin PGE2-induced cerebral vascular dilatation is thought to underliemigraine pain, particularly via activation of the EP4 receptor subtype.BGC20-1531 is an EP4 receptor antagonist that has been shown to competitivelyantagonise PGE2-induced vasodilatation of human middle cerebral and meningealarteries in vitro, supporting its potential use as a treatment for migraine andother pain conditions. Furthermore, since EP4 receptors are discretelylocalised, the overall safety profile of EP4 receptor antagonists may beimproved compared to triptans and NSAIDs. For further information contact: BTG Financial DynamicsAndy Burrows, Director of Investor Relations Ben Atwell+44 (0)20 7575 1741; mobile: +44 (0)7990 530605 +44 (0)20 7831 3113Christine Soden, Chief Financial Officer+44 (0)20 7575 1591 About BTG BTG in-licenses, develops and commercialises pharmaceuticals principally in theareas of neuroscience and oncology. The company has a substantial and growingrevenue stream of royalties from out-licensed products and a broad, expandinginternal pipeline of development programmes. BTG operates from offices inLondon, Philadelphia and Osaka. For further information, visit: www.btgplc.com. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
BTG