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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