KARO BIO PRESENTS NEW PRECLINICAL RESULTS THAT DEMONSTRATE SIGNIFICANT ANTIDEPRESS-ANT EFFECTS OF ESTROGEN RECEPTOR BETA AGONISTS

At the Annual Neuroscience meeting currently taking place in Atlanta, USA (14-18 October) Karo Bio has several presentations suggesting that its estrogen receptor beta (ERbeta agonists have antidepressant effects in a number of animal models.

Karo Bio has developed a series of new selective ER beta agonists with significant antidepressant properties in preclinical studies. The compounds increase the serotonergic tone in the brain and the effects are related to the regulation of key genes in the serotonergic system. Furthermore, the effect of existing therapies, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), may be enhanced by ERbeta agonists opening the possibility of giving ERbeta agonists alone or in combination with SSRIs in order to improve efficacy while minimizing adverse events. Karo Bio is in the lead optimization phase with these compounds and progress towards a choice of a candidate drug and subsequent full scale preclinical development.

There is a great need for new antidepressants since only about 50% of the patients experience adequate effects. Available antidepressants also provoke significant side effects. SSRIs represent the best tolerated therapy, but nevertheless have significant side effects, including sexual dysfunction, weight gain, apathy, sleep disorders and nausea. There is also a significant time lag before the antidepressant effects occur.

Estrogen therapy has been shown to have significant antidepressant activity, but estrogen treatment is associated with an increased risk for cancer of the uterus and breast. The uterotrophic and mammotrophic effects appear to be mediated by the estrogen receptor alpha, whereas the antidepressive effects of estrogens seem to be mediated by ER beta. ER beta is thus a new promising target for treatment of depression.



KARO BIO AB

For further information, please contact:
Per Olof Wallström, President & Chief Executive Officer
Telephone: +46 8 608 60 20

Per Otteskog, Senior Vice President
Telephone: +46 8 608 60 18




Facts about Karo Bio
Karo Bio is an innovative drug discovery and development company specializing in nuclear receptors for the development of novel pharmaceuticals with focus on metabolic diseases. Karo Bio is listed on the Stockholm stock exchange (Reuters: KARO.ST) since 1998.

The Company has expanded from being a drug discovery company by adding in-house preclinical development resources and competence for development of drugs to treat metabolic diseases. The Company has a strong project portfolio primarily targeting diseases such as diabetes, obesity, atherosclerosis and dyslipidemia.

In addition, Karo Bio has two strategic collaborations with international pharmaceutical companies for development of innovative therapies for the treatment of common diseases.

This press release is also available online at: www.karobio.com and www.waymaker.net.