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To: NeuroInvestment who wrote (20664)	9/12/2006 2:45:06 PM
From: dr.praveen	Respond to of 52153

PAION's Desmoteplase May Also Be Useful in Haemorrhagic Stroke; Presentation of Research Results at International Scientific Conference in San Diego AACHEN, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 7, 2006 - Priv. Doz. Dr. R. Thiex, senior neurosurgeon in the Department of Neurosurgery at Aachen University Hospital reported on new results on applying PAION's clot busting drug Desmoteplase in a large animal model of haemorrhagic stroke at the 18th International Congress on Fibrinolysis and Proteolysis in San Diego, CA (USA) (Thiex R, Weis J, Schwartz O, Krings T, Rohde V: Minor Edema Formation after DSPA-induced Clot Lysis of Experimental Intracerebral Hemorrhage. J Int Soc Thromb Haem Vol 4, Suppl I, 2006, p.118). According to the scientists, the findings indicate that Desmoteplase's positive properties may also help in treating this life-threatening condition. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the industrialised world. Average mortality in stroke is reported to be 20-30% - however in its most threatening form, a haemorrhagic stroke or massive bleeding into the brain, mortality rates are up to 50% and long-term disability is more prominent than in ischaemic stroke which is caused by a blocked artery. Current treatment of haemorrhagic stroke is mainly symptomatic and it is difficult to improve outcome for patients. One of the clinical implications of a brain haemorrhage is that blood compresses the brain. Consequently, the affected brain area dies and therefore neurosurgeons - as a last measure - open the skull and remove the haematoma. Alternatively, following a strategy first tried by clinical investigators more than 20 years ago, a catheter can be inserted into the haematoma using stereotaxy via a small hole in the skull with subsequent administration of a drug that dissolves the partially clotted blood. The liquefied clot is then drained off via the catheter. This minor invasive treatment may prove to be faster and more effective as compared with surgery. To explore this hypothesis, the clot-dissolving drug rt-PA is currently being administered in patients. However, one reported side effect of removing the clot by either method is brain oedema, which may be caused by endogenous t-PA's and rt-PA's neurotoxic properties. Animal studies of t-PA-assisted clot removal revealed that t-PA is associated with brain oedema and inflammation of the surrounding tissue. Other animal studies demonstrated that PAION's drug candidate Desmoteplase is not associated with such toxicity and even could antagonize t-PA neurotoxicity. Based on these findings, the research group of Priv.-Doz. Dr. Thiex at Aachen University Hospital tested Desmoteplase in an animal model of haemorrhagic stroke. In these experiments, an artificial haemorrhage is simulated by blood injection into the brain, ultimately leading to clot formation. Desmoteplase or rt-PA, respectively, was instilled locally to allow aspiration of the liquefied clot. As presented at the conference on 31 August, Desmoteplase showed less brain oedema and less inflammation than rt-PA when investigated up to ten days after induction of experimental haemorrhage. The research work was sponsored by PAION. Stated PAION's CMO, Dr. Mariola Soehngen: "These interesting results support previous findings regarding Desmoteplase's unique properties with regard to the central nervous system. We will now start to evaluate whether a clinical programme in haemorrhagic stroke is feasible". Cheers, Praveen