Biotie Therapies Explained

Biotie Therapies Oyj
Traded As:
NASDAQ:
Location:Turku, Finland
Revenue: 4.8 million (2012)[1]
Operating Income: (€25.6 million) (2012)
Num Employees:38 (end 2012)

Biotie Therapies Oyj was a Finnish biotechnology and pharmaceutics company that was acquired by Acorda Therapeutics in January 2016. The company's research and development was focused on drugs for neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders like Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive disorders, alcohol and drug dependence and post traumatic stress disorder, and inflammatory and fibrotic liver disease. The company's headquarters is in Turku, Western Finland, and it is listed on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki.

Overview

Biotie Therapies was formed in the merger of Biotie Therapies Corp. (incorporated in 1998),[2] Oy Contral Pharma Ltd and Carbion Inc in the year 2002. In 2008, Biotie Therapies acquired the German pharmaceutical discovery and development company Elbion GmbH in Radebeul. In 2010 Biotie Therapies all preclinical assets were transferred into a new company, biocrea GmbH, in which Biotie become a minority shareholder. In 2011, Biotie acquired a pharmaceutical company, Synosia.[3]

The company has partnering agreements with H. Lundbeck A/S and UCB.[4] [5]

In January 2016, Acorda Therapeutics acquired Biotie Therapies for $363 million.[6]

Product pipeline

NameTarget indicationsPartnerStatus
Selincro (nalmefene)alcohol dependenceLundbeckEU marketing authorization received [7]
Tozadenant SYN115Parkinson's diseaseUCBPhase III clinical trials to start 2015 [8]
VAP-1 antibodyinflammatory diseases-Phase I clinical trials ready, seeking partner
SYN120AD, cognitive disorders-Phase I clinical trials ready, seeking partner
Nepicastat SYN117PTSD, cocaine dependencyNIDAPTSD: Phase II clinical trials, results [9]
Cocaine dependency: Phase II clinical trials, in progress
RonomilastCOPD-Phase I clinical trials ready, seeking partner
Nitisinone SYN118Movement disorderUCBPhase II clinical trials, terminated [10]
Sources:[11]

Selincro (nalmefene)

The company's most advanced product, Nalmefene, for the treatment of alcoholism. Biotie's partner H. Lundbeck A/S received European marketing authorization from the European Commission on 28 February 2013. Lundbeck expects to launch Selincro in its first markets in the middle of 2013.

Studies have shown, that nalmefene has the ability to significantly limit both the patient's average alcohol intake and the number of days with an intake above five units of alcohol. The drug works by removing the patient's desire to drink more, thereby controlling and limiting the intake of alcohol. The drug will be used in tablet form, and taken only according to need. According to the company, this is a novel approach for alcohol dependency treatment; existing treatments are aimed at keeping the patient from drinking and the drugs have to be taken continuously over a longer period of time.[4] [12] [13]

Tozadenant

SYN115, also called tozadenant, was developed as a potential treatment for Parkinson's disease or other CNS disorders.[14] It was an orally administered, potent and [selective [[adenosine A2A receptor antagonist|inhibitor]] of the adenosine A2A receptor.

In January 2016, the company was acquired by Acorda Therapeutics, for .[15] In November 2017, the company announced discontinuation of the agent following the death of 5 patients enrolled in the tozadenant Phase III trial from agranulocytosis and associated severe adverse events possibly related to tozadenant.[16] [17]

VAP-1

Vascular Adhesion Protein-1 (VAP-1) monoclonal antibody - intended for treatment of inflammatory diseases, is currently in Phase I clinical trials with rheumatoid arthritis patients. According to the company, inhibiting VAP-1 reduces inflammation by regulating the migration of leukocytes, or white blood cells, to inflamed tissues. Pathological accumulation of white blood cells in tissue is a common feature in many autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, and psoriasis.

Nepicastat

SYN117 also called nepicastat is a treatment for cocaine dependency and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is orally administered, potent and selective inhibitor of the enzyme dopamine β-hydroxylase (DBH).[18]

Ronomilast

Ronomilast is a PDE4 inhibitor for chronic inflammatory disorders. It is a small molecule phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor (PDE4). The product is developed for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Data from pre-clinical and early clinical trials indicates that the product has a good safety profile. Biotie is in the process of planning a Phase 2 trial in COPD patients and also seeking a partner for late-stage development of ronomilast.[19]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Financial statements 2012 . Biotie Therapies . 9 March 2013 .
  2. News: Biotie Therapies on deck for U.S. debut . 5 June 2015 . Seeking Alpha . House, Douglas W. .
  3. The acquisition of Synosia Therapeutics Holding AG completed . February 2, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110819062317/http://www.biotie.com/en/investors/stock_exchange_releases/release/?NewsItemID=1484636&NewsItemYear=2011 . August 19, 2011 . dead. Biotie Therapies .
  4. https://archive.today/20130118183940/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/snapshot/snapshot_article.asp?symbol=BTH1V Biotie Therapies Oyj Company Description
  5. News: Biotie.com, Collaborations . February 14, 2013 . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120427210923/http://www.biotie.com/en/about_us/collaborations . April 27, 2012 .
  6. Web site: Accorda Acquires Biotie Therapies for $363 Million - GEN News Highlights - GEN. 19 January 2016 .
  7. Biotie: Selincro (nalmefene) receives European marketing authorization . 28 February 2013 . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20130603062733/http://www.biotie.com/en/investors/releases/release?NewsItemID=1681977&NewsItemYear=2013 . June 3, 2013 . Biotie Therapies .
  8. Stock Exchange Release 27 February 2013 . 27 February 2013 . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20130603065527/http://www.biotie.com/en/investors/releases/release?NewsItemID=1681399&NewsItemYear=2013 . June 3, 2013 . Biotie Therapies .
  9. Biotie reports top-line data from clinical study with nepicastat (SYN117) in post-traumatic stress disorder . Biotie Therapies . December 27, 2012 . March 4, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130304011035/http://www.biotie.com/en/investors/stock_exchange_releases/release/?NewsItemID=1667335&NewsItemYear=2012 .
  10. https://archive.today/20130407192253/http://www.biotie.com/en/investors/stock_exchange_releases/release/?NewsItemID=1565991&NewsItemYear=2011
  11. News: Biotie.com, Pipeline . February 14, 2013 . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20130215105948/http://www.biotie.com/en/product_and_development/development_pipeline . 2013-02-15 .
  12. http://www.biotie.com/WebRoot/1009506/StockNewsDetails.aspx?id=1013836&NewsItemID=1277334&NewsItemYear=2008 Lundbeck announces start of new phase III clinical trials with nalmefene
  13. http://www.biotie.com/Webroot/1009506/SubPageWide.aspx?id=1010246 Balanced CNS and inflammation product pipeline
  14. News: Biotie.com, SYN115 (tozadenant): A highly differentiated product for Parkinson's disease . March 26, 2012 . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20111228055904/http://www.biotie.com/en/product_and_development/central_nervous_system_disorders/syn115 . 2011-12-28 .
  15. Web site: Acorda Acquires Biotie Therapies for $363 Million. Staff. January 19, 2016. Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News. Mary Ann Liebert. New Rochelle, New York.
  16. Acorda Discontinues Tozadenant Development Program. Investor News. en-CA. 2019-09-24. November 20, 2017. Acorda.
  17. Web site: Parkinson's Tozadenant Trial Discontinued. Dolhun. Rachel. November 15, 2017. The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. New York, New York. 2019-02-14.
  18. News: Biotie.com, SYN117 (nepicastat) for the treatment of cocaine dependency and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) . March 26, 2012 . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20111113105320/http://www.biotie.com/en/product_and_development/central_nervous_system_disorders/syn117 . 2011-11-13 .
  19. News: Biotie.com, Ronomilast: PDE4 inhibitor for chronic inflammatory disorders . March 26, 2012 . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20111113101956/http://www.biotie.com/en/product_and_development/inflammation/ronomilast . 2011-11-13 .