Prana forecasts six-year wait for Alzheimer's therapy; human trial slated for Q4

By Elaine Rigoli

Tampa, Fla., July 24 - During recent news interviews in Australia, Prana Biotechnology Ltd. chairman and chief executive officer Geoffrey Kempler stressed that safety studies in animals and healthy humans (phase 1 single and multiple dose) indicate that PBT2 is well-tolerated at doses proposed for Alzheimer's treatment.

However, it will be at least five to six years before a therapeutic could be developed for commercial sale, he noted.

Recent studies suggest that PBT2 could quickly and significantly improve spatial memory - an important barometer of cognitive function - in seven-month-old transgenic amyloid mice, which are a model for Alzheimer's disease.

On the basis of the encouraging results achieved to date, Prana said it is planning to start a phase 2 double-blind, placebo controlled trial of PBT2 in Alzheimer's patients in the fourth quarter of this year.

If this trial is successful, it may lead to a larger phase 3 trial before the company may apply for regulatory approval for registration of a therapeutic.

Prana Biotechnology is located in Melbourne, Australia.

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