Prana Announces that New York Academy of Sciences eBriefing available online
‘Targeting Metals in Alzheimer’s and Other Neurodegenerative Diseases’ Symposium
Melbourne – January 30, 2013; Prana Biotechnology (NASDAQ:PRAN; ASX:PBT) today announced that the New York Academy of Sciences eBriefing which provides information and video footage of the symposium which took place on November 29th titled “Targeting Metals in Alzheimer’s and Other Neurodegenerative Diseases” is now available for viewing by the public by going to: www.nyas.org/MetalsandAD-eB. The eBriefing features multimedia presentations of speakers’ slides and audio, written meeting summary, and links to related resources.
Dr. Rudy Tanzi, the Joseph P. and Rose F. Kennedy Professor of Neurology at Harvard University and Prana’s Chief Scientific Advisor, and Dr. Robert Cherny, Prana’s Head of Research, are featured in the eBriefing. The presentations explore in depth the causative events leading to the neuropathology that drives Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and Huntington disease. This symposium examined how these findings led to the discovery of small molecules designed to restore the balance of transition metals in the brain that are critical for neuronal function, reduce the accumulation of aggregated target proteins, and could have a disease-modifying effect. A review of Prana’s PBT2 clinical history is also presented.
According to Geoffrey Kempler, Chairman of Prana, “We are pleased to make available to the public the eBriefing of the Symposium which recently took place at the New York Academy of Sciences. We believe it provides a clear synopsis and overview of the potential of Prana’s PBT in treating Alzheimer’s and Huntington diseases.” Recently, Prana announced that it has completed enrollment in its ongoing 6 month Phase 2 trial in Huntington patients and 12-month Phase 2 trial in Alzheimer’s disease patients.
Dr. Tanzi said, 'As more and more scientists in the Alzheimer's field generate data on the role of metals in neurodegenerative disease, we are becoming increasingly optimistic about the prospects for Prana’s trials. Elucidation of newAlzheimer’s genes continues to support the excessive accumulation of the amyloid beta protein in the brain as the triggering event for this devastating disease. Prana’s therapeutic strategy for treating neurodegenerative disease involves a very different mechanism of action than that of other anti-beta-amyloid drugs, which have largely failed. In light of these failures, many in the field have deemphasized efforts to treat existing Alzheimer's patients and are focusing on prevention. I believe that PBT2 has a very good chance of success for not only helping to prevent Alzheimer's, but also for providing real benefit to the millions of existing patients in need of effective treatments”.