[Stockholm, Sweden, April 21, 2008.]OxyPharma, a Swedish drug development company, today announced the publication of two research papers on Rabeximod, the company’s compound for treatment of moderate or severe active Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) that is currently undergoing a phase II clinical trial.

The paper with the title “The novel small molecule drug Rabeximod is effective in reducing disease severity of mouse models of autoimmune disorders” appeared in the March issue of ARD online, Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. The paper was authored by Malin Hultqvist, Kutty Selva Nandakumar, Ulf Björklund and Rikard Holmdahl. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases is a peer review journal for health professionals and researchers in the rheumatic diseases.
The authors conclude that: “Rabeximod reduces disease severity in animal models of autoimmunity and should be considered as a new therapeutic substance for MS and RA.” An abstract of the paper can be found at http://ard.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/ard.2007.085241v1.

Another paper was published also in March in Clinical and Experimental Immunology, 152; 192 - 199. The title was “Suppressive effects of a quinoxaline-analogue (Rob 803) on pathogenic immune mechanisms in collagen-induced arthritis”. The authors are E. Westman, D.D. Thi Ngoc, L. Klareskog, and H. Erlandsson Harris. (Rob 803 was the name of the compound before the name Rabeximod was approved by the WHO.)

Phase II study of Rabeximod under way

OxyPharma is currently carrying out a phase II trial with Rabeximod in patients with moderate to severe active RA. The phase II study is carried out in several European countries and is managed 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.
OxyPharma’s primary objective is to evaluate the clinical response rate of Rabeximod when added to a stable dose of methotrexate in 224 patients with moderate or severe active RA. Rabeximod is given orally once daily for 12 weeks.

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 83 243 57 97 or +46 70 341 46 53     
Email: peter.karaszi@oxypharma.com         

Also see our web site: www.oxypharma.com

 

OxyPharma is a member of SwedenBIO. For more information about Swedish biotech, please visit www.swedenbio.com