Probiodrug to Present at the Sofinnova Japan Biopharma Partnering Conference
Probiodrug Funds Brigham and Women’s Research into Antibody Targeting Pyroglutamated Abeta for Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease
HALLE/SAALE, Germany, December 3, 2013 – Probiodrug AG (Probiodrug) and researchers from the Paul Flechsig Institute for Brain Research, University of Leipzig, Germany published results in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease showing a strong correlation between expression of glutaminyl cyclase (QC), the enzyme responsible for the formation of the toxic amyloid-beta species pyroglutamated (pGlu) Abeta, and cognitive decline in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease.
In this study, the temporal cortex and entorhinal cortex, areas of the temporal lobe involved in memory formation and language processing, from 24 individuals (11 who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and 13 controls) were analyzed post mortem. It was found that QC expression and pGlu Abeta concentration was statistically significantly higher in both these regions in the individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. For the first time, these increases in QC expression and pGlu Abeta concentration were shown to be also correlated with cognitive decline, as assessed by Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE).
“These results support the therapeutic potential of QC inhibition for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, and point to a potential of QC as a biomarker,” commented Inge Lues, Ph.D., Probiodrug’s chief development officer. “Probiodrug’s lead QC-inhibitor PQ912 has just completed Phase 1 studies with excellent results and is now aimed to be studied for clinical efficacy in Alzheimer’s disease patients.”
Professor Hans-Ulrich Demuth, head of the department of drug design and target validation at the Fraunhofer Institute of Cell Therapy and Immunology and a scientific adviser to Probiodrug, added, “While much has been learned about Alzheimer’s disease, we are still lacking an efficient disease-modifying therapy for this devastating condition. By pioneering the scientific concept of QC inhibition, Probiodrug is advancing this novel and promising treatment approach now to clinical proof of concept.”
The article summarizing these results, titled Glutaminyl Cyclase in Human Cortex: Correlation with (pGlu)-Amyloid-Beta Load and Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer’s Disease, will appear in print in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, Volume 39, Number 2.
About Probiodrug AG
Probiodrug is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery and development of novel therapeutic solutions to treat people with Alzheimer’s disease. The Company has medical use and composition of matter patents related to the inhibition of glutaminyl cyclase, providing the Company with a dominant position in this field of research. Probiodrug is backed by institutions such as BB Biotech, Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners, Goodvent/IBG, HBM, TVM Capital, Life Sciences Partners, Biogen Idec New Ventures, CFH Group, funds managed by Wellington Management and private investors.
Probiodrug’s core capabilities are based on its long-standing expertise in the elucidation of the structure and function of enzymes which play a central role in the maturation of hormones. Probiodrug was founded in 1997 by Prof. Dr. Hans-Ulrich Demuth and Dr. Konrad Glund. For more information, please visit www.probiodrug.de.
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Company Contact:
Dr. Konrad Glund, CEO
Tel: +49 (345) 555-9900
Email: konrad.glund@probiodrug.de