First patient dosed in the Phase I/II study of Umecrine Mood’s candidate drug for premenstrual dysphoric disorder
STOCKHOLM – May 23, 2013. Umecrine Mood AB announced today that dosing has been initiated in a randomized Phase I/II study of UC1010 for the treatment of patients with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). Umecrine Mood is part of the Karolinska Development portfolio.
Most women experience some form of symptoms the days before menstruation but in about five percent of young and middle-aged women, the symptoms are so severe that they are considered to be suffering from PMDD. This means that the symptoms in a debilitating way affect daily life and relationships to other people.
"The symptoms occur due to that a breakdown product of a sex hormone affect the brain's emotional center. Umecrine Mood is the first company to successfully develop compounds that are proven to reduce the activity of the breakdown product in healthy individuals. Now we take the next step to evaluate the safety and efficacy of our drug candidate in patients", says Karin Ekberg, CEO of Umecrine Mood.
The first patient has now been dosed with UC1010 in a double-blind, multicenter study in which the safety and efficacy of the product will be evaluated in a total of 120 individuals. Principal Investigator is Professor Marie Bixo, Institute of Clinical Research and Education, Södersjukhuset, Karolinska Institutet.
"The currently available treatment of PMDD is primarily antidepressant drugs, which are not always effective and often cause side effects", says Torbjörn Bjerke, CEO of Karolinska Development AB. "There is no doubt that these women are in need of an effective and targeted treatment, nor that the health economic benefits of being able to help the patient group would be significant."
For further information, please contact:
Karin Ekberg, CEO, Umecrine Mood AB
Phone: +46 8 524 844 82, e‐mail: karin.ekberg@umecrine.se
Torbjörn Bjerke, CEO, Karolinska Development AB
Phone: +46 72 744 41 23, e‐mail: torbjorn.bjerke@karolinskadevelopment.com
TO THE EDITORS
About Umecrine Mood
Umecrine Mood develops novel products to treat the mental and physical symptoms associated with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) and severe Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) caused by an endogenous CNS‐active steroid derived from the corpus luteum of the ovary. The company portfolio includes newly discovered lead compounds and the selected drug candidate is a first‐in‐class compound that inhibits the provocateur to act on the emotional center of the brain. For more information, please visit www.umecrine.se/mood
About Karolinska Development AB
Karolinska Development aims to create value for patients, researchers, and investors by developing innovations from world class science into products that can be sold or out-licensed with high returns. The business model is to: SELECT the most commercially attractive medical innovations; DEVELOP innovations to the stage where the greatest return on investment can be achieved; and COMMERCIALIZE the innovations through the sale of companies or out-licensing of products. An exclusive deal flow agreement with Karolinska Institutet Innovations AB, along with other cooperation agreements with leading universities, delivers a continuous flow of innovations. Today, the portfolio consists of 36 projects, of which 15 are in clinical development. For more information, please visit www.karolinskadevelopment.com.
Karolinska Development is listed on NASDAQ OMX. Karolinska Development may be required to disclose the information provided herein pursuant to the Securities Markets Act.