| BOONTON, N.J., Dec 17, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Unigene Laboratories, Inc. (OTCBB: UGNE, http://www.unigene.com)
announced today that it has selected a lead peptide compound, designated
UGP281, from its obesity program for development. In a short-term study
reported at the Keystone Symposium Conference on "Obesity: Novel Aspects
of the Regulation of Body Weight" last January, a previously developed
compound, orally-administered UGL269, reduced food intake in dogs by up
to 50% and correspondingly reduced body weight. Subsequent studies by
Unigene have led to the development of UGP281, a peptide modeled after
naturally-occurring hormones which is significantly more potent than
UGL269 and achieves the same reduction in food consumption at a lower
dose. Importantly, in comparative animal studies at the same dose,
UGP281 was at least 3-fold more effective in reducing food consumption
than certain other peptide compounds that are currently in later-stage
clinical development by third parties for accelerated weight loss. In
addition, there were no overt signs of toxicity. The pronounced
reductions in feeding behavior, as well as the weight of the animals
after daily administration of this peptide, persisted over several weeks
of dosing. The peptide has the additional advantages that it can be
delivered orally using Unigene's Enteripep(R) technology and
manufactured using Unigene's Secrapep(R) technology.
"Obesity is one of the fastest-growing public health issues in the
United States, as well as in several other countries," said Dr. Warren
Levy, President and CEO of Unigene. "The treatment of obesity is still
largely an unmet medical need, and we believe that Unigene's obesity
program offers the potential to identify peptides that may significantly
alter food intake in obese individuals and thus reduce the health care
cost and the burdens associated with it."
It has been estimated by the NIH that almost one third of the adult US
population is obese, and if current trends continue, 103 million
American adults will be considered obese by 2018. Obesity is a known
risk factor for a variety of diseases and conditions such as diabetes,
coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, osteoarthritis, gall
bladder disease, sleep apnea and some forms of cancer. Several
calculations have estimated that at least $75 billion in health care
costs are directly attributable to obesity.
About Unigene
Unigene Laboratories, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company
focusing on the oral and nasal delivery of large-market peptide drugs.
Due to the size of the worldwide osteoporosis market, Unigene is
targeting its initial efforts on developing calcitonin and PTH-based
therapies. Fortical(R), Unigene's nasal calcitonin product for
the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis, received FDA approval and
was launched in 2005. Unigene has licensed the U.S. rights for Fortical
to Upsher-Smith Laboratories, worldwide rights for its oral PTH
technology to GlaxoSmithKline, worldwide rights for its calcitonin
manufacturing technology to Novartis and worldwide rights (except for
China) for its oral calcitonin program to Tarsa Therapeutics, Inc.
Unigene's patented oral delivery technology has successfully delivered,
in preclinical and/or clinical trials, various peptides including
calcitonin and PTH analogs. Unigene's patented manufacturing technology
is designed to cost-effectively produce peptides in quantities
sufficient to support their worldwide commercialization as oral or nasal
therapeutics. For more information about Unigene, call (973) 265-1100 or
visit www.unigene.com.
For information about Fortical, visit www.fortical.com.
Safe Harbor statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995: This press release contains forward-looking statements
regarding us and our business, financial condition, results of
operations and prospects.Such forward-looking statements include
those which express plans, anticipation, intent, contingency, goals,
targets or future development and/or otherwise are not statements of
historical fact.We have based these forward-looking statements
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are subject to risks and uncertainties known and unknown which could
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economic and business conditions, our financial condition, competition,
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of animal and human testing, the risk of product liability and liability
for human trials, our dependence on patents and other proprietary
rights, dependence on key management officials, the availability and
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SOURCE: Unigene Laboratories, Inc.
The Investor Relations Group
Investor:
Erika Moran, 212-825-3210
or
Media :
Janet Vasquez, 212-825-3210
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