30th Jun 2008 07:00
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For immediate release |
30 June 2008 |
MINSTER PHARMACEUTICALS PLC
("Minster" or "the Company")
Tonabersat highlighted at AHS Symposium
Minster Pharmaceuticals plc (AIM: MPM), the drug development company specialising in neurological and psychiatric disorders, is pleased to announce that, on Saturday 28 June 2008, Professor David W Dodick, MD of the Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona, gave a presentation entitled Gap Junction Blockers: Targeting Migraine Prevention, at a satellite symposium at the American Headache Society's 50th Annual Scientific Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts.
Professor Dodick discussed current understanding of the preclinical and clinical science supporting the use of gap junction blockers in migraine treatment. He reviewed the preclinical and clinical profile of Minster's compound tonabersat, the only gap junction blocker currently in development for prevention of migraine. He also included a summary of the 500 patient TEMPUS study of tonabersat, which is currently ongoing in the United States.
In his concluding comments Professor Dodick stated that it is an exciting time for patients who suffer from the debilitating disorder of migraine and for the physicians who treat them because of the increasing understanding of the pathophysiology of the condition. This understanding has led to the emergence of promising new classes of drugs such as gap junction blockers for prevention of migraine and CGRP antagonists for treatment of acute attacks.
Paul Sharpe, Minster Pharmaceuticals' Chief Executive, said: "It is particularly encouraging that Professor Dodick has highlighted the potential of gap junction blockers in the preventive treatment of migraine at this symposium at the American Headache Society's annual meeting. His comments underline the increasing expectation that Minster's gap junction blocker, tonabersat, has the potential to be a major advance in the management of migraine."
For further information:
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Minster Pharmaceuticals plc |
Tel: +44 (0) 1799 506623 |
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Paul Sharpe, Chief Executive Officer |
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Robert Aubrey, Chief Financial Officer |
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Buchanan Communications |
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7466 5000 |
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Mark Court / Rebecca Skye Dietrich / Catherine Breen |
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Nomura Code Securities Limited |
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7776 1200 |
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Richard Potts |
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Gerard Harper |
Notes for editors:
About Minster Pharmaceuticals plc
Minster Pharmaceuticals is a drug development company focussed on neurological and psychiatric disorders. Its principal pipeline assets are tonabersat, under development in the preventive treatment of migraine, and sabcomeline in schizophrenia. Worldwide rights to both compounds were acquired from GlaxoSmithKline and the compounds benefit from comprehensive safety tolerance data as a result of investment by GSK.
Tonabersat is the leading compound in an exciting new class of selective drugs designated as neuronal gap junction blockers and offers the potential to prevent the onset of migraine as a preferred alternative to acute treatment. Sabcomeline, a muscarinic partial agonist, has potential in the treatment of chronic schizophrenia.
Minster's near-term focus is on the development and commercialisation of its current pipeline. Its medium term strategy is to leverage the anticipated cashflows from the current pipeline by in-licensing further compounds with the ultimate objective of creating a substantial and highly efficient drug development enterprise focussed on the central nervous system.
Minster joined the AIM market in February 2005 and trades under the symbol MPM. For further information please visit www.minsterpharma.com .
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