GNT Pharma Co., Ltd. and Toyota Tsusho Corporation Announce Strategic Partnership for Further Development of Neu2000 and AAD-2004 Targeting CNS and Inflammatory Diseases

YONGIN-SI, SOUTH KOREA--(Korea Newswire)--Global Neurotech (GNT) Pharma Co., Ltd., a privately held company based in Yongin-si, South Korea is pleased to announce a strategic relationship with Toyota Tsusho Corporation (TTC) based in Tokyo.

TTC will represent GNT Pharma exclusively in Japan in promoting its products and technologies in the area of first-in-class new drug discovery for neurological and inflammatory diseases.

“With the changing business model for drug discovery, we are happy to appoint TTC as our exclusive representative in Japan to help us grow our Japanese customer base. As TTC's plan looks to expand its revenue related to non-automotive business, we are pleased to help it grow in the life sciences and healthcare business globally,” stated Dr. Byoung Joo Gwag, CEO and R&D head of GNT Pharma.

According to TTC, the collaboration with GNT will enable TTC to provide more customer-oriented business to Japanese leading pharmaceutical manufacturers through the domestic network which TTC has established so far.

About GNT Pharma
GNT Pharma was founded on the basis of the consolidated collaboration of basic and clinical academic teams in April, 1998. GNT Pharma has discovered and developed drugs for the treatment of neurological and inflammatory diseases including ischemic and traumatic injury, neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases, and inflammatory diseases for 14 years. Novel drug candidates and libraries of GNT Pharma are derived from clinically proven drugs -- aspirin and sulfasalazine -- that revealed promising efficacy and safety for the intervention of brain cell injury and inflammation. So far, three drug candidates, Neu2000, AAD-2004, and AAD-2004 OAc (ND-07) have been developed through rational drug design targeting stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and inflammatory diseases.

Novel Drug Candidates

Neu2000 was designed as the first dual neuroprotectant targeting both NMDA receptors and free radicals that were known as two major routes of nerve cell death in stroke. Neu2000 is a moderate NMDA receptor NR2B-selective antagonist and spin trapping molecule. Therapeutic potential of Neu2000 has been demonstrated in four animal models of stroke with better efficacy and therapeutic time window than anti-stroke drugs advanced to clinical trials. Neu2000 also showed prominent efficacy in animal models of spinal cord injury, acute myocardial infarction, and burn injury. Nonclincial and human phase I studies in the United States demonstrate that Neu2000 is safe (therapeutic index = 35 - 800 depending on types and severity of diseases) and thus can be translated to treat stroke patients and other diseases above. A phase II study for acute stroke patients with recanalization treatment was approved from Korean Food and Drug Administration in August, 2011 and will be initiated in 2012.

AAD-2004 was developed as a dual function drug to remove excess free radicals and PGE2, the key mediators of nerve injury in Alzheimer‘s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). AAD-2004 is a potent microsomal prostaglandin E2 synthase-1 (mPGES-1) inhibitor and spin trapping molecule. Anti-symptomatic and disease-modifying potential of AAD-2004 has been verified in animal models of AD, ALS, and PD. AAD-2004 also shows anti-depression effects comparable to fluoxetine. A human Phase Ia (single ascending doses) study was successfully completed in 2011. A phase Ib (multiple ascending doses) study will be initiated to investigate safety and also biomarker profiles in 2012.

AAD-2004 OAc (ND-07) was selected as a drug candidate for treatment of inflammatory diseases and pain based upon efficacy and safety in animal models of pancreatitis, diabetic neuropathy, and pain. Compared to conventional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, AAD-2004 OAc does not cause gastrointestinal complications and prevents cell injury as well as systemic inflammation. In consideration of remarkable safety and disease-modifying efficacy as an anti-inflammatory drug, AAD-2004 OAc holds a wide therapeutic potential in inflammatory diseases and pain.

Collaborations, licensing opportunities

GNT Pharma is seeking regional and global partners for further development and commercialization of Neu2000, AAD-2004, and AAD-2004 OAc.

About TTC
TTC was established in 1948. TTC grew steadily with the automotive business as its main axis. Tomen also developed a wide range of business and customers in non-automotive fields. The two companies merged in April 2006, and started as the newborn TTC. The newborn TTC group, using its know-how of a global network and as one of the leading trading companies group that is also actively involved in manufacturing, aims to be a new trading group that offers flexible ideas and attractive proposals.

Website: http://gntpharma.com/en/home_en/

This is a news release distributed by Korea Newswire on behalf of this company.