Subscribe to Print Edition | Wed., June 18, 2008 Sivan 15, 5768 | | Israel Time: 03:16 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Peres Conference Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Teva leaps on Azilect breakthrough By TheMarker Correspondents and Staff , By Nathan Sheva and Yoram Gabison Tags: Parkinson's, medical research  News that its brand drug Azilect did well in clinical trials sent Teva Pharmaceutical Industries stock surging 3% in Tel Aviv yesterday, adding $1.2 billion to the drug giant's market cap. "Azilect has turned into a product with significant potential, from a regular product into a mega-product," commented Benzi Weiner, senior VP for R&D, by which he meant that if doctors take up the drug, sales could pass a billion dollars a year. Teva hopes to obtain regulatory permits to sell the drug as not only a treatment for symptoms, but as an agent to slow the disease's progression, by the end of 2009. Weiner added that another company is working on a drug intended to slow the disease's advance, but says it is two to three years behind Teva and there's no telling whether it will produce results. Azilect, which is the brand name for rasagiline, was tested in 1 milligram tablets as a treatment for Parkinson's Disease. Teva said yesterday that the drug can actually slow the disease's progression, which can't be said for any other therapy for the so-far incurable nervous system condition. Advertisement The Israeli company announced the results of its Phase III "Adagio" trial yesterday morning, boosting its shares and those of Danish partner Lundbeck, too. The two companies co-market the drug in Britain, Germany and France. Teva and Lundbeck said the currently-marketed 1 mg tablets of Azilect met all three of the trial's primary goals, end points as well as the secondary and additional goals, and that all the results were statistically significant. The study also confirmed Azilect's safety and patient tolerance for its action, the companies said. Moshe Manor, Teva's VP Global Innovative Resources, said that the company intends to submit its results to the United States FDA and to regulatory institutions in Europe this very year, to obtain marketing approval. Based on these results, Azilect could become the first Parkinson's disease treatment to receive a label for disease modification and Teva hopes to start marketing the drug as such in 2010. Four million people in the world suffer from Parkinson's, said Manor, of which 700,000 in the U.S. "This achievement demonstrates the strength of Teva's innovative R&D capabilities and highlights our continued commitment to developing treatments for the more challenging areas of neurological diseases," Shlomo Yanai, president and chief executive of Teva, said in a statement. "These positive results could dramatically increase the market potential for Azilect, allowing Azilect to join Copaxone as another major Teva drug for neurological disorders," he added. Teva's Copaxone, a treatment for remitting/relapsing multiple sclerosis, became the No. 1 global treatment for multiple sclerosis in the first quarter, overtaking mostly interferon-based therapies made by rival companies. Teva launched Azilect in late 2006. The drug had been co-developed by Teva and scientists from the Technion university in Haifa. Until now it has been sold as a monotherapy for the early stages of Parkinson's Disease, and as a supplemental therapy for more advanced stages of the condition, which is marked by involuntary trembling, muscle stiffness and rigidity, difficulty balancing and other results of neuronic cell death. The 18-month study, the first of its kind, is one of the largest conducted on Parkinson's disease, and involved 1,176 patients with early Parkinson's disease in 14 countries and 129 medical centers. Meanwhile, even without the test result indicating improvement in patient condition, sales had been taking off. Global sales of Azilect in the first quarter of 2008 increased by 50% from a year earlier to $37.5 million. With reporting by Reuters. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Religious pressure Tel Aviv supermarket chain agrees gradual Shabbat closure. Overgenerous diplomacy UN envoy: Israel has given Syria a 'huge gift' for free.

Read & React UN envoy: Israel has given Syria a 'huge gift' for free Responses: 134 Nazi sheltered by Austria as too ill for trial, seen enjoying Euro 2008 Responses: 102 IAF kills 6 in Gaza strikes, including gunmen linked to Shalit kidnap Responses: 132 Defense Minister Barak: It is too early to declare calm in Gaza Responses: 77 Israeli sources: Hezbollah deal possible next week Responses: 64 More Headlines 02:58 Hamas, Egypt back Gaza truce, Israel yet to confirm deal 02:59 ANALYSIS / Cease-fire deal means Hamas is in charge 21:19 IAF Gaza strikes kill 6 including gunmen linked to Shalit kidnap 01:57 Syria lacks skills, fuel for nuclear facility, says ElBaradei 02:44 Civil Administration officials indicted in West Bank land steal 19:09 Right-wing activist pours boiling water on Meretz MKs in Hebron 23:01 Will next U.S. Congress top current record number of Jewish lawmakers? 02:56 Will Olmert and Assad be sitting together at the same table? 22:22 Poll: Ashkenazi Israelis more content with their wages than Sephardis 16:09 Report: U.S. urges Israeli pullout from disputed Golan area 23:27 Sex and the Old City / Star of hit TV show Kristin Davis makes first visit to Jerusalem 12:54 Bowing to religious pressure, Tel Aviv supermarket chain agrees gradual Shabbat closure 13:06 Israel Police arrest settlers for assault on Palestinian farmers 17:18 Tourism to Israel breaks all-time record in May Previous Editions Select Day 17 jun 16 jun 15 jun 13 jun 12 jun 11 jun 10 jun 09 jun 08 jun 06 jun 05 jun 04 jun

Special Offers Advertisement Holyland Park Jerusalem Apartment Tower World Class Luxury In the heart of Tel-Aviv The Meier on Rothschild tower Jerusalem of Gold Luxury apartments in Jerusalem's finest location Your vacation starts here Israel Travel Center Guaranteed Lowest Rates Istudy Learn Hebrew in 3 months Pardes Institute Summer Sessions http://www.pardes.org.il/ Free the Palestinians from: Corrupt Kleptocracy, Tyrannical Theocracy, Abysmal Anarchy Fattal Hotel Chain Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel. ISRAEL BONDS Build Israel Israel bonds - a multi-purpose way to celebrate Israel's 60th Eldan Rent a Car Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations Junkyard Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt

Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |

Real Estate in Israel | Travel to Israel with Haaretz | Hotels Israel | Restaurants Israel | Tourist attractions Israel | Shops Israel

birthright Israel

Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.

© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved