Karo Bio starts Phase II clinical trials in the field of dermatology

Karo Bio starts Phase II clinical trials in the field of dermatology The Swedish Medical Products Agency has approved Karo Bio's application to start Phase II clinical trials on patients suffering from skin atrophy, which is caused by repeated steroid treatment of skin diseases. "Skin atrophy is a common condition, which causes patients to become vulnerable to blows, which can lead to bruising, and in some cases can impair the wound healing. These side-effects mean that steroid treatment, in many cases, cannot be provided effectively. The background to these side-effects is that steroids reduce the production of certain proteins, which are important structural components in the skin's composition. Skin atrophy is also caused by aging or by extreme exposure to the sun. There is currently no satisfactory treatment for skin atrophy, which means that there is a large need for new therapies. For this reason, we are very pleased that our research in this area is making such good progress, " says Per-Olof Mårtensson, President of Karo Bio. The planned studies will be conducted at the Dermatology Clinic of Sahlgrenska Hospital in Gothenburg, under the supervision of Associate Professor Jan Faergemann. Karo Bio has developed an ointment containing a substance that activates the thyroid hormone receptor. "In earlier animal tests, we have shown that the active substance can convincingly prevent steroid-induced skin atrophy, which is the dermatological indication to which we have given the highest priority. Our patent application has been filed in the USA, Europe and in leading Asian markets, and covers possible treatments, with substances acting through the thyroid hormone receptor, for a range of dermatological diseases," says Per Otteskog, Head of Research at Karo Bio. Preliminary studies, which Karo Bio has carried out on human skin, indicate that thyroid hormone can be used in treatment of a range of different skin disorders. These studies show that thyroid hormone and vitamin A, which both work via various nuclear receptors, have, to a large extent, the same effects on the composition of the skin. However, the use of vitamin A is limited by local irritations such as peeling and redness. For further information, contact: Per- Olof Mårtensson, President Karo Bio AB +46 8 608 6020 per-olof.martensson@karobio.se Per Otteskog, Executive Vice President (R&D) +46 8 608 6018 per.otteskog@karobio.se Karo Bio is a drug discovery company working with the development of receptor and tissue-selective drugs for the treatment of common diseases that are responsive to nuclear receptors, such as cancer, osteoporosis, cardiac arrhythmia, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes and inflammatory diseases. Operations are conducted in collaboration with international pharmaceutical companies and leading academic institutions. Karo Bio has 80 employees and is located at the Novum Science Park at Huddinge Hospital, Stockholm. The Company collaborates with Abbott Laboratories, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Merck & Co. On March 27 Karo Bio's board of directors announced the acquisition of the US biotechnology company Novalon. The acquisition will broaden Karo Bio's technological knowledge concerning nuclear receptors and increase the company's knowledge in the field of genomics, providing new opportunities for the development of high precision drugs. The merged Karo Bio will be located in Stockholm, San Francisco and Durham, North Carolina. Please visit our website: www.karobio.se ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/04/18/20000418BIT00220/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/04/18/20000418BIT00220/bit0002.pdf