Rock Creek Pharmaceuticals Inc. (fka RCPIQ)

[Buddhahead]

Alzheimer’s Disease: Phase III breakthrough Tau-therapy earns Scottish Biotech €120M in 'LabBioTech.EU, 9/10/2015

Excerpts:
"TauRX is a spin-off biotech from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland (UK) where its clinical trials are being conducted, although its official headquarters are based in Singapore (for tax reasons, perhaps?!). Their Alzheimer’s pipeline has led to the latest generation of their Tau-aggregation inhibitors (TAIs) attracting a massive €120M funding round for its phase III trials.

This figure is staggeringly huge for a clinical trials fundraiser, leading us to question – is this drug really the potential cure for Alzheimer’s the world is waiting for? Or is this simply another example of the biotech spending spree in Neuro-degenerative disease…

Professor Claude Wischik originally identified Tau-protein tangles as responsible for damage in Alzheimer's (Source: Aberdeen Uni)
Professor Claude Wischik originally identified Tau-protein tangles as responsible for damage in Alzheimer’s (Source: Aberdeen Uni)
Tau-protein was identified as a major causative agent in neurofibrillatory ‘tangles’ by Claude Wischik in 1988, who’s research lab at Cambridge (UK) later moved to the University of Aberdeen and founded TauRX. Wischik’s tenure (from 30 years of research experience in Alzheimer’s) could therefore be one of the reasons there is such a strong backing to TauRX’s finances.

However, it is also the fact that TauRX’s phase II results for ‘Rembr’ (their first version of a small molecule Tau-aggregation inhibitor) in 2008 showed a dramatic 81% reduction in disease progression for Alzheimer’s over a 2-year period – a staggering statistic. The latest generation of TauRX TAI (also a methylthioninium compound) is now preparing for phase III and has a much higher bioavailability to their previous candidate, and therefore could be a real breakthrough in the treatment of this neuro-degenerative disease. Perhaps then this €120M really does signify a change in the tide of Alzheimer’s research."

Article at:
http://labiotech.eu/alzheimers-tau-inhibitor-aberdeen-taurx/