Neurobiological Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTII) and the Buck Institute for
Age Research (Buck) announced today they have entered into a collaboration and
exclusive license agreement to develop a novel therapy for Alzheimer's Disease
(AD). Under the terms of the agreement Neurobiological Technologies will
exclusively license certain patent rights related to a naturally occurring
protein that has been shown in animals to reverse the symptoms of Alzheimer's
disease.
AD is a neurodegenerative disease that, in its most common form, occurs in
people over 65 years old and is the most common cause of dementia afflicting 24
million people worldwide.
AD Research at the Buck Institute focuses on signal transduction pathways that
may explain all of the different, yet seemingly opposed theories of AD, namely
that AD is caused by either an overabundance of amyloid-B (AB) peptide, or
neurofibrillary tangles that build up inside the nerve cells. Current studies
at the Buck are focused on a naturally occurring protein that has been shown in
both cell culture and mice to inhibit the production of amyloid-B (AB) peptides
while simultaneously facilitating the growth and preservation of nerve fibers in
the brain.
As part of this agreement, Neurobiological Technologies has agreed to fund a
joint research collaboration with the Buck relating to the Alzheimer's drug
development for up to three years. Research funding for the initial year under
the Agreement will total $1.2 million. In consideration for the license,
Neurobiological Technologies will pay upfront license fees totaling $175,000
over a three-year period.
"The partnership with the Buck Institute has the potential to expand our
pipeline of product candidates in central nervous system disorders," said Paul
E. Freiman, President and CEO of Neurobiological Technologies. "We look forward
to applying our resources and expertise in drug development to this partnership
and working to bring this important AD research from the lab to the clinic."
Neurobiological Technologies has been collaborating with Buck since December
2007 to develop a new drug for the treatment of Huntington's disease involving
fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2), a naturally occurring protein that has been
studied extensively for its neuroprotective properties. This agreement is the
second collaboration between Neurobiological Technologies and Buck focused on
central nervous system conditions.
"With these resources and the support from Neurobiological Technologies, we are
well positioned to realize our shared goal of developing drugs to bring new hope
to patients suffering from AD," said Remy Gross, Buck Institute Director of
Business Development. "We look forward to this second important research and
development partnership for underserved CNS disorders that affect an increasing
number of people worldwide."
