Press Releases
[Stockholm, Sweden, November 8, 2007.] The World Health Organization’s INN programme for identification of pharmaceutical substances has approved OxyPharma’s name Rabeximod for the company’s drug for treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). Rabeximod is an orally administered compound for treatment of moderate or severe active RA that is currently undergoing phase II clinical testing in eight European countries.
OxyPharma’s disease-modifing antirheumatic drug (DMARD) Rabeximod
is included in the new list (List 59) of recommended names, INN’s
(International Nonproprietary Names), published by WHO Drug Information.
The WHO’s INN programme facilitates the identification of pharmaceutical
substances or active pharmaceutical ingredients. Each INN is a unique
name that is globally recognized and is public property. A nonproprietary
name is also known as a generic name.
The list can be viewed at http://www.who.int/druginformation/general/innlists.shtml
from the end of 2007 or early 2008.
Rabeximod (formerly known as Rob 803) is currently undergoing a phase II clinical testing in patients with moderate to severe active RA. The phase II study is carried out in Belgium, Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Serbia, Sweden and the UK by Pharm-Olam International, a multi-national contract research organization. Principal Investigator is Prof. Lars Klareskog, Head of Rheumatology Unit at Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. The trial is expected to be completed by Q2, 2008.
The aim of the INN system is to provide health professionals with a unique and universally available designated name to identify each pharmaceutical substance. The existence of an international nomenclature for pharmaceutical substances, in the form of INN, is important for the clear identification, safe prescription and dispensing of medicines to patients and for communication and exchange of information among health professionals and scientists worldwide.
About OxyPharma:
OxyPharma is a Swedish drug development company developing new drugs
primarily for the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Multiple
Sclerosis (MS). The development programs are carried out in collaboration
with the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden and contract research
organizations (CRO’s) in England, Sweden and Israel. OxyPharma
was founded in 2002 and is based in Stockholm, Sweden. The company’s
largest shareholder is innovator and entrepreneur Leif Lundblad (mainly
through his investment company LLD Nybohov Invest). Ulf Björklund
is OxyPharma’s CEO.
For additional information please contact:
Ulf Björklund
CEO, OxyPharma AB
Phone: +46 8 726 17 02 or +46 70 667 04 40
Email: ulf.bjorklund@oxypharma.com
or
Peter Karaszi
Press Officer, OxyPharma AB
Phone: +27 21 439 8806 or +27 83 243 5797
Email: peter.karaszi@oxypharma.com
