Epilepsy Organizations Award Grant To Harbor Therapeutics To Study
Anti-Inflammatory Drug In Epilepsy
Recent Evidence Suggests Potential Role of Inflammation in
Epilepsy
SAN DIEGO and WASHINGTON,
Dec. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/
-- The Epilepsy Therapy Project (ETP) and the Epilepsy Foundation
(EF) today announced that Harbor Therapeutics, Inc. (HRBR.OB), a
San Diego-based biopharmaceutical
company, is the latest grant recipient of their New Therapy Grants
Program, a unique joint venture of the two non-profit epilepsy
organizations to advance clinical development and commercialization
of promising epilepsy therapies. The grant will support the
preclinical development of Harbor Therapeutic' s anti-inflammatory
drug HE3286 in drug-resistant epilepsy. HE3286 is currently
in Phase II clinical trials for diabetes. The award was announced
by the Epilepsy Therapy Project and the Epilepsy Foundation during
the American Epilepsy Society (AES) 66th Annual Meeting in
San Diego, CA.
Brain inflammation is linked to epilepsy including drug
resistant seizures, and specific anti-inflammatory drugs have been
able to suppress ongoing seizures in animal models of chronic
epilepsy.[1] HE3286 is an orally bioavailable,
blood-brain-barrier permeable anti-inflammatory compound that is
being repurposed for epilepsy. The anti-inflammatory action of
HE3286 demonstrated in several different inflammatory disease
models—including Parkinson's disease and multiple
sclerosis—provides a strong rationale for its evaluation in
epilepsy.
ETP's Scientific Advisory Board and Business Advisory Board,
which evaluated all grant applications, were enthusiastic about the
project, entitled HE3286 Treatment of Drug Resistant
Epilepsy, and awarded funding of more than $60,000 to Harbor Therapeutics for the proposal
submitted by Clarence Ahlem, Vice
President of Product Development (cahlem@harbortx.com,
www.harbortx.com). The specific study to be performed will be
a preclinical study in chronic seizures in mice—specifically in a
model that captures the complex chronic inflammatory interactions
which have been shown to be targeted by the mechanism of action of
this compound in other disease models. The study will be
performed by Annamaria Vezzani, PhD,
Head of the Laboratory of Experimental Neurology at the
world-renowned Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research,
Milan, Italy. Dr. Vezzani
maintains one of the few laboratories in the world with significant
experience in this mouse model of chronic epilepsy. The
proposed experiments in mice will be completed within one year of
the grant award.
"Through the New Therapy Grants award program we seek to support
important new products with the potential to provide significant
benefit to people currently living with epilepsy," said
Roger J. Porter, MD, Chief
Scientific Officer, Epilepsy Therapy Project. "Harbor Therapeutic's
project is particularly compelling because HE3286 is already in
Phase II clinical trials for type 2 diabetes and it is well
positioned for rapid entry into epilepsy clinical trials if found
active in the proposed epilepsy proof of concept studies."
Chronic safety and pharmaceutical acceptability studies for
HE3286 are complete; the drug has an excellent safety profile and
good pharmaceutical characteristics.
About The New Therapy Grants Program
The New Therapy
Grants Program is a unique joint venture between two non-profit
epilepsy organizations, The Epilepsy Therapy Project and the
Epilepsy Foundation. Grants are awarded to support programs
that demonstrate promise as new treatments through critical early
clinical milestones and readiness for further investment and
development. Applications are evaluated by professional
scientific and business advisory board members. Awards are
given based on the potential to provide substantial benefit in a
timeframe relevant to those living with epilepsy today. To
date, close to 60 grants have been awarded for the advancement of
new therapeutics and devices that have demonstrated a more rapid
path to benefiting patients and future commercialization.
For a comprehensive list of all epilepsy therapies in
development including past projects supported by the New Therapy
Grants program, please visit
http://www.epilepsy.com/etp/pipeline_new_therapies. The
epilepsy pipeline identifies the most promising products from
early-stage development to commercial-stage, and whether a product
is currently available in the US or internationally.
Upcoming Grant Applicants: Note Deadline for Letter of
Intent is March 1, 2013
The
New Therapy Grants Program is requesting proposals from scientific
and clinical investigators pursuing innovative projects that
demonstrate a clear path to commercialization. The program
accepts the submission of proposals ranging from $50,000 to $500,000. The deadline to submit
a Letter of Intent (LOI) is March 1,
2013. If LOI is selected for full proposal, submissions are
due April 17, 2013. To apply or
view additional requirements, visit
http://www.epilepsy.com/etp/support_translational.
About Epilepsy
When a person has two or more unprovoked seizures, they have
epilepsy, which affects nearly 3 million people in the United States and 50 million people
worldwide. This year, another 200,000 people in our country will be
diagnosed with epilepsy. Despite all available treatments, 30 to
40% of people with epilepsy continue to experience
seizures.
About the Epilepsy Therapy Project and the Epilepsy
Foundation
The Epilepsy Therapy Project and the Epilepsy
Foundation recently announced an intention to merge
(http://my.epilepsy.com/newsfeeds/press_release/999447). The
new organization will have unparalleled reach and leadership
through a nationwide supportive care network, broad-based public
awareness, education and focus on accelerating the clinical
development of innovative therapies for people with epilepsy.
The Epilepsy Foundation, a national nonprofit with affiliated
organizations throughout the United
States, has led the fight against epilepsy since 1968.
The Foundation's mission is to stop seizures, find cures and
overcome the challenges created by epilepsy. For additional
information, please visit www.epilepsyfoundation.org.
The Epilepsy Therapy Project is a 501(c) (3) non-profit
organization whose mission is to accelerate ideas into therapies
for people living with epilepsy and seizures. Founded in 2002
by a group of parents, distinguished physicians, and researchers,
the Epilepsy Therapy Project supports the commercialization of new
therapies through direct grants and investments in promising
academic and commercial projects. For more information about
epilepsy, epilepsy treatment and the epilepsy pipeline, or to
donate, please visit our website, www.epilepsy.com or call
540.687.8077.
[1] Vezzani, A, French, J, Bartfai, T and Baram, TZ (2011) The
role of inflammation in epilepsy. Nat Rev Neurol 7, 31-40.
SOURCE Epilepsy Therapy Project