Biofrontera Pharmaceuticals and Janssen Pharmaceutica enter a research agreement to explore modulation of nicotinic receptors in treatment of Alzheimer's diseas

Leverkusen, Germany (PROTEXT/ots) - A research collaborationwas announced today between Janssen Pharmaceutica NV andBiofrontera Pharmaceuticals AG to explore the potential benefitsof "nicotinic modulation" in the treatment of Alzheimer'sdisease. Deficits in cholinergic neurotransmission, in particular areduced number of nicotinic receptors, are an importantcontributor to the cognitive impairment that is typical withAlzheimer's dementia -- a disease that afflicts an estimated 15million individuals worldwide. To slow the progression of thesymptoms associated with this disabling disease, Janssen recentlyintroduced galantamine (ReminylTM), a novel therapy that has aunique, dual mode of action. Galantamine inhibits the enzymeacetylcholinesterase, which breaks down acetylcholine, aneurotransmitter that plays a key role in memory and learning.The drug also modulates nicotinic receptors, an action that isbelieved to result in greater release of this critical brainchemical. The goal of the research collaboration between Janssen andBiofrontera is to further investigate, substantiate and explainhow these two mechanisms might contribute to the broad efficacyprofile and sustained therapeutic benefit that ReminylTM hasdemonstrated in recent clinical trials. Biofrontera has recently recruited as Chief Scientific OfficerProfessor Alfred Maelicke from the University of Mainz MedicalSchool, whose laboratory discovered the action of galantamine onbrain nicotinic receptors. Research on Alzheimer's diseasecomplements Biofrontera's previous activities, which have beenfocused on drug development for chronic pain, schizophrenia,stroke, and Parkinson's disease. Biofrontera Pharmaceuticals AG (www.biofrontera.de) is aresearch-enabled drug discovery company that focuses onParkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, stroke, chronic pain, andschizophrenia. Biofrontera's proprietary high-resolution geneexpression profiling technology (DEPD(r)) presently is the onlymeans of comparing the levels of practically all genestranscribed in the brain. The DEPD(r) technology is complementedwith in-house state-of-the-art bioinformatics, a rapid andefficient gene cloning facility and adaptable high-throughputscreening assay technologies for rare targets. Employing thistechnology platform, Biofrontera aims at developing therapeuticstrategies that halt the neuropathological processes during thedevelopment of brain diseases. Janssen Pharmaceutica NV (www.janssen-cilag.com) is a whollyowned subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson , one of the world's mostsuccessful and comprehensive health-care corporations. Known asJanssen-Cilag in Europe, Janssen has a long track record indeveloping and marketing treatments for neurological and centralnervous system disorders -- including Haldol(tm) (haloperidol),the world's most widely prescribed antipsychotic medication;Risperdal(tm) (risperidone), the most widely prescribed atypicalantipsychotic; and Reminyl(tm) (galantamine), the newesttreatment for mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. Otherspecialty areas include pain management, treatment of fungalinfections and therapy for gastrointestinal conditions.

otsOriginal Text Service: Biofrontera Pharmaceuticals AG Internet:www.presseportal.de Contact: Dr. Peter Engels, Director BusinessDevelopment Tel.: + 49 214 876 32-10 Fax: +49 214 876 32-90engels@biofrontera.de www.biofrontera.de

Subscribers please note that material bearing the slug"PROTEXT" is not part of CTK's news service and is not to bepublished under the "CTK" slug. Protext is a commercial serviceproviding distribution of press releases from clients, who areidentified in the text of Protext reports and who bear fullresponsibility for their contents. PROTEXT