LEIDEN, Netherlands, Nov. 17, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Biotech company Pharming Group N.V. ("Pharming" or "the Company") (Euronext: PHARM) (PHARM.AS) announced today that the Company presented clinical results of recombinant human C1 inhibitor (rhC1INH) at several international meetings, including the CHAES Annual General Meeting and Conference in Montreal, Canada, the AAEE Meeting in Rome, Italy and the ACAAI Annual Meeting in Anaheim, USA.
Patients of herediatary angioedema (HAE) treated with rhC1INH in Phase II/III clinical studies show rapid time to beginning of relief between fifteen minutes to two hours and time to minimal symptoms typically within twelve hours. None of the patients treated with rhC1INH showed any related serious adverse events, allergic reactions or antibody responses to study medication, nor did any patient experience a relapse of the initial HAE attack.
"The results of our clinical studies reaffirm the potential of rhC1INH as a treatment option for HAE," said Dr. Jan Nuijens, Senior Director of Clinical Development at Pharming. "We are encouraged by the safety profile and treatment results with rhC1INH."
The Phase I clinical results with rhC1INH have recently been published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. The article provides information on the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of rhC1INH and support for the use of rhC1INH as a potential treatment for HAE.
Background on Hereditary Angioedema
Hereditary angioedema is a human genetic disorder caused by a shortage of C1 inhibitor activity. Approximately one in 30,000 individuals suffers from HAE and have has an average of seven acute attacks per year. HAE attacks that are untreated usually last up to five days.
The disease is characterized by acute attacks of painful swelling of soft tissues (edema), including regions of the skin, the intestine, and the mouth and throat. If the soft tissue of the throat is involved, an attack of angioedema can be fatal. In addition to the life-threatening nature of the disease, quality of life for individuals with the disease may be seriously impaired.
Background on Pharming Group N.V. Pharming Group N.V. is developing innovative protein therapeutics for unmet medical needs. The Company's products include potential treatments for genetic disorders, medical and specialty products for surgical indications, and intermediates for various applications. Pharming has two products in late stage development - recombinant human C1 inhibitor for hereditary angioedema (Phase III) and recombinant human lactoferrin for nutritional use. The advanced technologies of the Company include innovative platforms for the production of protein therapeutics, as well as technology and processes for the purification and formulation of these products. Additional information is available on the Pharming website, http://www.pharming.com.
This press release contains forward looking statements that involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward looking statements. The press release also appears in Dutch. In the event of any inconsistency, the English version will prevail over the Dutch version.
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