ANN ARBOR, Mich., Sept. 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Adeona
Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE Amex: AEN), a developer of innovative
medicines for serious central nervous system diseases, announced
today that its planned clinical trial of the Company's proprietary
zinc-based therapy for patients suffering from amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou
Gehrig's Disease, will be featured during the Hot Topics
session at the 2011 California ALS Research Summit (ALS Summit) on
Saturday, October 1, 2011.
Todd D. Levine, M.D., President of
PNA Center for Neurological Research (PNA), Assistant Clinical
Professor at the University of Arizona,
Co-Director of the Banner Samaritan ALS Center in Phoenix, Arizona and Lead Principal
Investigator of the planned clinical trial will present the
potential benefits of zinc therapy for ALS patients. Dr. Levine
will also discuss preliminary data from PNA's ongoing Phase I/II
open label safety study of zinc therapy in ALS patients at the ALS
Summit.
"I am very excited to present our theories on the potential role
of zinc in the treatment of ALS. We believe that by giving high
doses of zinc to ALS patients, we can decrease the amount of
toxicity from unbound glutamate and prevent neurotoxicity," said
Dr. Levine. "Our goal is to improve the quality of life of patients
with ALS by slowing the progression of this devastating
disease."
About Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
ALS is a devastating progressive neurodegenerative disease that
affects the nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord in people
of all ages and both sexes. It is estimated that as many as 30,000
Americans may have the disease at any given time. The progressive
degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to the
death of the patient. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the
spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the
body. When motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate
and control muscle movement is lost. With voluntary muscle action
progressively affected, patients in the later stages of the disease
may become totally paralyzed. While non-invasive ventilation and
gastrostomy tubes prolong life by 6-12 months, the average lifespan
from time of symptom onset is 2-5 years. Currently, RILUTEK® is the
only FDA-approved drug for ALS. RILUTEK is an NMDA receptor
antagonist and has been shown to prolong life in patients with ALS
by 3 months. Presently, there is no cure for ALS, nor is there a
known cause. For more information on ALS, please visit the ALS
Association website at www.alsa.org.
About the Ongoing Phase I/II Open Label Safety Study of Zinc
Therapy in ALS Patients
Currently the clinical investigators at the PNA Center for
Neurological Research are conducting a Phase I/II open label study
of zinc therapy in ALS patients to determine the safety of zinc in
conjunction with low doses of copper. To date, no safety issues
related to zinc therapy have been observed in the ALS patients. For
more information on this clinical study, please visit
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00919555.
About PNA Center for Neurological Research
PNA Center for Neurological Research (PNA) is an independent,
not-for-profit organization based in Phoenix, Arizona. PNA was established by five
of the neurologists from Phoenix Neurological Associates, Ltd., who
are dedicated to discovering new treatments for patients with
neurological diseases. The goal of PNA is to be a hub where
philanthropists, advocates, organizations, family and friends of
patients with a neurological illness could make donations that can
support investigator-initiated clinical trials. PNA hopes to
optimize proper treatments in order to improve outcomes for
patients with neurological diseases. For more information on PNA,
please visit its website at www.pnaresearch.org.
About the California ALS Research Summit
The California ALS Research Summit is an annual gathering of
researchers, investigators, clinicians, biotech companies,
government representatives and patient advocates in ALS and related
fields in the State of California.
The purpose of the Summit to help increase, expedite and promote
the amount and level of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also
known as Lou Gehrig's disease) and
related research done in California; and to foster networking,
collaboration and cooperation among investigators, their peers and
their colleagues to identify, develop and deliver new and effective
treatments, ideas and, ultimately, a cure. For more information
about the California ALS Research Summit, please visit its website
at www.californiaalsresearchsummit.org.
About Adeona Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Adeona is a pharmaceutical company focused on developing
innovative medicines for the treatment of serious central nervous
system diseases. The Company's strategy is to license product
candidates that have demonstrated a certain level of clinical
efficacy and develop them to a stage that results in a significant
commercial collaboration. Adeona is developing, or has partnered
the development of, drug product candidates to treat multiple
sclerosis, fibromyalgia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and
Alzheimer's disease. The Company is currently preparing to make the
following products commercially available: reaZin™, a
prescription medical food for the dietary management of zinc
deficiency associated with Alzheimer's disease, and
wellZin™, a homeopathic over-the-counter medicine for
reducing the duration and symptoms of the common cold. Adeona also
operates Adeona Clinical Laboratory, a wholly owned clinical
reference laboratory that provides a broad array of chemistry and
microbiology diagnostic tests. For more information, please visit
Adeona's website at www.adeonapharma.com.
RILUTEK® (riluzole) is a registered trademark of sanofi-aventis
U.S. LLC.
This release includes forward-looking statements on Adeona's
current expectations and projections about future events. In some
cases forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology
such as "may," "could," "potential," "positions," "continue,"
"expects," "anticipates," "intends," "planned," "believe,"
"estimates," and similar expressions. These statements are based
upon current beliefs, expectations and assumptions and are subject
to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult
to predict and include statements regarding the potential role of
zinc in the treatment of ALS and the belief that high doses of
zinc can reduce toxicity. The forward-looking statements are
subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results
to differ materially from those set forth or implied by any
forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause
actual results to differ materially from those reflected in
Adeona's forward-looking statements include, among others, our
failure to obtain regulatory approval or market approval of drug
candidates in the treatment of ALS, failure to obtain approval to
conduct the planned trial, failure of the planned clinical trial to
have favorable results such as a failure to show benefits of zinc
therapy in ALS patients, a failure of the treatment group to have a
decrease in toxicity from unbound glutamate, and other factors
described in Adeona's report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2010 and any
other filings with the SEC. The information in this release is
provided only as of the date of this release, and Adeona undertakes
no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in
this release on account of new information, future events, or
otherwise, except as required by law.
SOURCE Adeona Pharmaceuticals, Inc.