Prana Biotechnology's compound could halt Alzheimer's pathology

Nov 19 2008

Prana Biotechnology has announced that a recent independent study conducted by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) has demonstrated that the Company's Metal-Protein Attenuating Compounds (MPACs) could halt Alzheimer's pathology.

The study published in the November edition of Annals of Neurology shows that the administration of the anesthetic gas isoflurane can spur the production of amyloid-beta protein, which causes plaques in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. A group of mice in the study treated with clioquinol, also known as PBT1 and the predecessor of Prana's compound PBT2, prior to receiving the isoflurance, had significant lower levels of the enzyme that leads to amyloid-beta production.

Geoffrey Kempler, Chairman and CEO of Prana, said, "Although PBT1 has now been superseded by PBT2 and is no longer being developed, we are happy that once again our underlying technology has demonstrated strong benefits in the fight against Alzheimer's."

Rudolph E. Tanzi, the study's senior author, Director of the Genetics and Aging Research Unit at Mass. General, and Prana's Co-Founding Scientist, said, "The new findings suggest that post-operative cognitive dysfunction and delirium may be related to increased amyloid beta protein levels driven by the commonly-used anesthetic, isoflurane. The fact that pretreatment with PBT1, which blocks amyloid beta protein accumulation, helped reduce the extent of neuronal cell death in the isoflurane-treated animals suggests that this class of drugs, which includes PBT2, might be considered as a prophylactic for mitigating the potential adverse effects of isoflurane during surgery. It must be emphasized, however, that all of these results have thus far been derived from mice studies and would therefore have to be first validated in humans."

PBT2 is designed to have an improved safety and efficacy profile and has demonstrated significantly greater effectiveness in lowering plaque in Alzheimer patients.

"Studies conducted by noteworthy institutions such as MGH reaffirms our commitment to commercialize and develop the second generation of MPACs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease," added Kempler.

Prana Biotechnology was established to commercialize research into Alzheimer's Disease and other major age-related neurodegenerative disorders. The Company was incorporated in 1997 and listed on the Australian Stock Exchange in March 2000 and listed on NASDAQ in September 2002. Researchers at prominent international institutions including The University of Melbourne, The Mental Health Research Institute (Melbourne) and Massachusetts General Hospital, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, contributed to the discovery of Prana's technology.

http://www.pranabio.com/