STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Jan. 10, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Diamyd Medical (SSE:DIAMb) is developing a GAD vaccine for insulin-dependent diabetes. The company reports that patient recruitment has been concluded, that all the patients have now received two vaccinations and that no negative safety indications have been reported for the vaccine so far.
"We are now entering the final phase of our double-blind Phase II study. A few complementary vaccinations will be undertaken in February and we plan to issue a report of the results of the study in six to seven months," says CEO Anders Essen-Moller.
The first application of the diabetes vaccine is to prevent GAD-antibody positive diabetes patients being treated with tablets (so-called LADA patients) from developing insulin-dependent diabetes.
The market for preventing insulin-dependent diabetes in patients being treated with tablets could be up to US$ 1 billion per year.
Preventing insulin-dependent diabetes in children and young people as well as the recurrence of diabetes after transplantation or stem cell therapy is the ultimate objective for the Diamyd vaccine.
It has recently been reported that gene therapy with GAD may be developed as a possible treatment or Parkinson's disease. Among Diamyd Medical's exclusive intellectual rights are UCLA's patent portfolio for therapies involving GAD that include the patent claim GAD in a viral vector, that is gene therapy with GAD.
About Diamyd Medical: Diamyd Medical's business idea is to identify and develop pharmaceutical projects up to and including Phase II. The projects will then be sold or licensed to major pharmaceutical companies for further commercialization. The development and marketing of related diagnostic tests and substances takes place in parallel to promote contact with researchers and prepare the market for the pharmaceutical under development.
Diamyd Therapeutics has identified two therapeutic projects. The most advanced is the diabetes vaccine Diamyd, which is now undergoing Phase II studies. The Company's other project is tolerance induction to GAD for the specific elimination of GAD antibodies. Development work for this project has just commenced and the project is seen as a complement to vaccinating against diabetes as well for treatment of certain neuromuscular diseases.
For further information contact Anders Essen-Moller, Diamyd Medical AB, Tel: +46 8-661 00 26, 661 12 25, fax: +46 8-661 63 68 or email: info@diamyd.com, web site: www.diamyd.com
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