Avraham Pharmaceuticals has raised $4.5 million from Yissum Research Development Co. Ltd., the technology transfer arm of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Pontifax, Clal Biotechnology Industries Ltd. (TASE: CBI), Integra Holdings, Yissum's biotech holdings company and Technion Research and Development Foundation Ltd. (TRDF) and others. Following the current investment round, Yissum and Integra Holdings will now hold 46% of the shares of Avraham Pharmaceuticals.
Avraham Pharmaceuticals will use the proceeds to advance a Phase IIb study of Ladostigil, a novel molecule designed for the treatment of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and early stages of Alzheimer's disease.
In July 2014, the company announced successful interim results in this Phase IIb clinical trial for the evaluation of the safety and efficacy of Ladostigil in MCI patients. The on-going Phase trial is a 3 year, multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial and includes 210 patients in 16 centers in Germany, Austria and Israel. An independent expert committee concluded that there are no safety issues preventing continuation of the trial after evaluated safety data on all patients participating in the trial and that have completed at least 1 year of treatment. Interim results also point to a positive trend as to the efficacy of the drug, as evident by various clinical parameters and relevant biomarkers. This includes reduced loss of brain volume as determined by MRI, improved immune system parameters and trends in improvement of cognitive parameters.
Avraham Pharmaceuticals Chairman and Yissum CEO Yaacov Michlin said, "There is currently no treatment available for MCI, and we have high hopes that Ladostigil will become the first drug to alleviate MCI symptoms and prevent progression to Alzheimer's disease, to the benefit of millions of people suffering from this condition.”
Avraham Pharmaceuticals CEO Dr. Yona Geffen said, "We have begun discussion with potential licensing partners, based on the encouraging interim analysis results showing positive trends in the benefit of the drug treatment compared to placebo already after 12 months of treatment. We look forward to the next interim analysis of the study, expected in the third quarter of 2015 following 2 years of treatment, and the final results expected in the third quarter of 2016.”
Earlier this month, Avraham Pharmaceuticals held an international investigators meeting in Berlin, for the purpose of briefing the trials’ investigators on the Phase 2b interim analysis results. Around 50 physicians and other clinical staff from a total of 16 sites in Europe and Israel participated in the meeting.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on September 17, 2014
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