Message #25 From:
NewsBot Date: November 30, 2006 05:30:00 AM
UGNE News Unigene Engages University Clinicians to Advise on Bone Growth Program
FAIRFIELD, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Unigene Laboratories, Inc. (OTCBB: UGNE) has engaged two leading
clinicians as consultants to assist in the development and testing
relating to the Site-Directed Bone Growth program currently being
conducted by the company in collaboration with investigators from Yale
University Medical School.
Unigene scientists, in collaboration with Dr. Agnes Vignery at Yale,
co-invented the Site-Directed Bone Growth technology, which involves the
use of a simple, minimally invasive outpatient procedure in conjunction
with the administration of an anabolic drug that has been shown in
animals to facilitate and accelerate natural bone growth at precisely
targeted locations. Possible applications of this technology include
strengthening of weakened or damaged bones due to osteoporosis or
fractures, the treatment of chronic back pain, the prevention of hip
fractures and the improvement of bone healing.
The new consultants are leading medical professionals from the Johns
Hopkins University School of Medicine:
Dr. Donlin Long, a Distinguished Senior Professor of Neurosurgery at the
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine was also the
Neurosurgeon-in-Chief of the Johns Hopkins Hospital and Director of the
Department of Neurosurgery at that institution from 1973 to 2000. He has
authored more than 200 papers and authored or contributed to over 100
books in bone and related areas. He is actively involved in neurosurgery
practice and has a major interest in the origins of spinal pain and the
outcomes of treatment of spinal diseases. He is also one of the founders
of the International Association for The Study of Pain.
Dr. Kieran Murphy is a Director of Interventional Neuroradiology and
Associate Professor of Radiology, Neurology and Neurological Surgery at
the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Murphy is a pioneer
in the field of image guided/minimally invasive spine intervention, and
the inventor of devices for vertebral stabilization (the Murphy needles)
that have become the industry standard worldwide. He has authored more
than 100 peer-reviewed publications. His research focus is in the area
of image-guided spine intervention with a particular interest in
prophylactic spine, hip, and wrist augmentation to reduce inevitable
osteoporotic fractures in high-risk patients.
“We are understandably excited to add these
outstanding medical experts to our development team for the
Site-Directed Bone Growth program,” stated
Dr. Warren Levy, President and CEO of Unigene. “In
collaboration with our colleagues at Yale University Medical School, we
plan to explore the many potential applications of this novel
technology, including intervention to prevent bone failure and relief of
spinal pain by rebuilding bone naturally rather than replacing it with
other foreign material.”
In conjunction with this program, Unigene has licensed three of Dr.
Murphy’s patent applications to strengthen
its intellectual property portfolio. The patent applications involve the
use of specialized equipment and procedures to deliver substances that
promote bone growth or strengthen existing bone.
“These novel delivery approaches and
combinations should expand our patent protection and complement the
Site-Directed Bone Growth technology in ways that may enable and
facilitate additional commercialization options,”
Dr. Levy added.
About Unigene
Unigene Laboratories, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company
focusing on the oral and nasal delivery of large-market peptide drugs.
Due to the size of the worldwide osteoporosis market, Unigene is
targeting its initial efforts on developing calcitonin and PTH-based
therapies. Fortical®,
Unigene’s nasal calcitonin product for the
treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis, received FDA approval and was
launched in August 2005. Unigene has licensed the U.S. rights for
Fortical® to
Upsher-Smith Laboratories, worldwide rights for its oral PTH technology
to GlaxoSmithKline and worldwide rights for its calcitonin manufacturing
technology to Novartis. Unigene’s patented
oral delivery technology has successfully delivered, in preclinical
and/or clinical trials, various peptides including calcitonin, PTH and
insulin. Unigene’s patented manufacturing
technology is designed to cost-effectively produce peptides in
quantities sufficient to support their worldwide commercialization as
oral or nasal therapeutics. For more information about Unigene, call
(973) 882-0860 or visit www.unigene.com.
For information about Fortical, visit www.fortical.com.
Safe Harbor statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995: This press release contains forward-looking statements as
defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and
Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such
forward-looking statements are based upon Unigene Laboratories, Inc.’s
management’s current expectations, estimates,
beliefs, assumptions, and projections about Unigene’s
business and industry. Words such as “anticipates,”“expects,”“intends,”“plans,”“predicts,”“believes,”“seeks,”“estimates,”“may,”“will,”“should,”“would,”“potential,”“continue,” and
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are subject to certain risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are
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statements as a result of various risk factors. These risks and
uncertainties include the risks associated with the effect of changing
economic conditions, trends in the products markets, variations in
Unigene's cash flow, market acceptance risks, technical development
risks and other risk factors detailed in Unigene's Securities and
Exchange Commission filings.
