Unigene Engages University Clinicians to Advise on Bone Growth Program Company Also Acquires License to Bone Growth Patent Applications
Thursday Nov 30 2006 08:30:24 EST
FAIRFIELD, N.J., Nov 30, 2006 (BUSINESS WIRE) --
Unigene Laboratories, Inc. (OTCBB: UGNE) has engaged two leading clinicians as consultants to assist in the development and testing relating to the Site-Directed Bone Growth program currently being conducted by the company in collaboration with investigators from Yale University Medical School.
Unigene scientists, in collaboration with Dr. Agnes Vignery at Yale, co-invented the Site-Directed Bone Growth technology, which involves the use of a simple, minimally invasive outpatient procedure in conjunction with the administration of an anabolic drug that has been shown in animals to facilitate and accelerate natural bone growth at precisely targeted locations. Possible applications of this technology include strengthening of weakened or damaged bones due to osteoporosis or fractures, the treatment of chronic back pain, the prevention of hip fractures and the improvement of bone healing.
The new consultants are leading medical professionals from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine:
Dr. Donlin Long, a Distinguished Senior Professor of Neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine was also the Neurosurgeon-in-Chief of the Johns Hopkins Hospital and Director of the Department of Neurosurgery at that institution from 1973 to 2000. He has authored more than 200 papers and authored or contributed to over 100 books in bone and related areas. He is actively involved in neurosurgery practice and has a major interest in the origins of spinal pain and the outcomes of treatment of spinal diseases. He is also one of the founders of the International Association for The Study of Pain.
Dr. Kieran Murphy is a Director of Interventional Neuroradiology and Associate Professor of Radiology, Neurology and Neurological Surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Murphy is a pioneer in the field of image guided/minimally invasive spine intervention, and the inventor of devices for vertebral stabilization (the Murphy needles) that have become the industry standard worldwide. He has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications. His research focus is in the area of image-guided spine intervention with a particular interest in prophylactic spine, hip, and wrist augmentation to reduce inevitable osteoporotic fractures in high-risk patients.
"We are understandably excited to add these outstanding medical experts to our development team for the Site-Directed Bone Growth program," stated Dr. Warren Levy, President and CEO of Unigene. "In collaboration with our colleagues at Yale University Medical School, we plan to explore the many potential applications of this novel technology, including intervention to prevent bone failure and relief of spinal pain by rebuilding bone naturally rather than replacing it with other foreign material."
In conjunction with this program, Unigene has licensed three of Dr. Murphy's patent applications to strengthen its intellectual property portfolio. The patent applications involve the use of specialized equipment and procedures to deliver substances that promote bone growth or strengthen existing bone.
"These novel delivery approaches and combinations should expand our patent protection and complement the Site-Directed Bone Growth technology in ways that may enable and facilitate additional commercialization options," Dr. Levy added.
About Unigene
Unigene Laboratories, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focusing on the oral and nasal delivery of large-market peptide drugs. Due to the size of the worldwide osteoporosis market, Unigene is targeting its initial efforts on developing calcitonin and PTH-based therapies. Fortical(R), Unigene's nasal calcitonin product for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis, received FDA approval and was launched in August 2005. Unigene has licensed the U.S. rights for Fortical(R) to Upsher-Smith Laboratories, worldwide rights for its oral PTH technology to GlaxoSmithKline and worldwide rights for its calcitonin manufacturing technology to Novartis. Unigene's patented oral delivery technology has successfully delivered, in preclinical and/or clinical trials, various peptides including calcitonin, PTH and insulin. Unigene's patented manufacturing technology is designed to cost-effectively produce peptides in quantities sufficient to support their worldwide commercialization as oral or nasal therapeutics. For more information about Unigene, call (973) 882-0860 or visit www.unigene.com. For information about Fortical, visit www.fortical.com.
Safe Harbor statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such forward-looking statements are based upon Unigene Laboratories, Inc.'s management's current expectations, estimates, beliefs, assumptions, and projections about Unigene's business and industry. Words such as "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "predicts," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "may," "will," "should," "would," "potential," "continue," and variations of these words (or negatives of these words) or similar expressions, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections, or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, our actual results could differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statements as a result of various risk factors. These risks and uncertainties include the risks associated with the effect of changing economic conditions, trends in the products markets, variations in Unigene's cash flow, market acceptance risks, technical development risks and other risk factors detailed in Unigene's Securities and Exchange Commission filings.
SOURCE: Unigene Laboratories, Inc.
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