- Preclinical and early clinical data presented at the 4th Huntington's Disease
Therapeutics Conference in Cannes, France

Today, NeuroSearch presents data on the mode of action and the preclinical
pharmacology of ACR16, demonstrating the unique functional activity of the
company's novel drug candidate in development for Huntington's disease.

Furthermore, preclinical and clinical results also presented today, demonstrate
the potential of ACR16 as an effective and novel treatment for Huntington's
disease symptoms, for which no effective treatment exists currently. In
particular, patients with Huntington's disease experience reduced motor
performance, cognitive impairment and depressed mood, and ACR16 may be
effective in targeting both the motor and behavioural symptoms of the disease.
A pivotal development programme is underway, with the results from a large
European Phase III Huntington's disease study expected around the turn of the
year.

The preclinical and early clinical data on ACR16 will be shown today, Wednesday
29 April 2009 at 2:30 pm CET at the 4th Huntington's Disease Therapeutics
Conference held in Cannes, France in the form of two poster presentations.
Details of the posters and the main findings follow:

“Preclinical pharmacology and mode of action of the dopaminergic stabilizer
ACR16”,
By S Waters, F Petterson, T Dyhring, C Sonesson, J Tedroff, N Waters, H Pontén

• In vitro binding studies show that ACR16 binds to the dopamine D2 receptor,
with a slight preference towards the high affinity (activated) receptor state.

• ACR16 differs from dopamine D2 receptor antagonists, agonists and partial
agonists:

Unlike classical D2 antagonists, ACR16 antagonises dopamine-dependent D2
activation with fast-off kinetics. Unlike agonists and partial agonists, it has
no detectable agonist activity at the D2 receptor.

These in vitro findings suggest that ACR16 would be able to allow the
physiological effects of dopamine surges.

• In vivo, ACR16 strengthens glutamate function in the frontal cortex. This
phenomenon, which is not observed with classical D2 antagonists or partial
agonists, may add to the novel agent's powerful in vivo behavioural effects in
states of excessively high dopamine activity or excessively low glutamate
activity, while not affecting behaviour under normal conditions.

• Together, these findings suggest that ACR16 stabilizes psychomotor activity
in states of hypo- and hyperactivity, by means of functional D2 antagonism and
strengthening of cortical glutamate functions; offering the potential for
clinical relief of psychomotor symptoms arising from dopaminergic dysfunction
in conditions such as Huntington's disease.

“Rationale for ACR16 as a symptomatic treatment for Huntington's disease”,
By M Esmaeilzadeh MD, J Tedroff MD, PhD

• ACR16 represents a novel class of functional modulators of the dopaminergic
system (i.e. dopaminergic stabilizers), which primarily interact with D2-type
receptors.

• Unlike other compounds acting on D2 receptors (e.g. neuroleptics and partial
dopamine agonists), the effect of ACR16 extend beyond the dopaminergic system,
leading to strengthened cortical control of the striatum.

• Early clinical studies with ACR16 have been encouraging in terms of reducing
Huntington's disease symptoms, without producing unwanted side effects.

Joakim Tedroff M.D., Ph.D, Medical Director of NeuroSearch Sweden AB comments:

“Huntington's disease is a very serious condition associated with a complex
mixture of motor dysfunction, cognitive decline, and behavioural difficulties.
So far, no treatment has been able to effectively help improve life for
Huntington patients, and therefore we are encouraged by these results from
early clinical studies with ACR16, which suggest that it has the potential to
provide relief for a number of the symptoms associated with this devastating
brain disorder. We are currently evaluating ACR16 in a comprehensive pivotal
programme, including a total of 640 patients with Huntington's disease in both
North America and Europe, and the first results are expected around the turn of
the year.”


Contact persons:
Flemming Pedersen, CEO, telephone + 45 2148 0118
Hanne Leth Hillman, Vice President, Director of Investor Relations & Corporate
Communications, telephone: +45 4017 5103


ACR16 - A dopaminergic stabiliser
ACR16 belongs to a class of active agents called dopaminergic stabilisers,
which have the unique ability to both strengthen and inhibit dopamine-regulated
functions in the brain, depending on the base level of dopamine activity.
Dopamine is an important neurotransmitter in the brain, and the dopaminergic
system plays a central role in the control of motor and mental functions. In
preclinical studies dopaminergic stabilisers have demonstrated the ability to
stabilise motor, cognitive and psychiatric dysfunction, and they do this
without compromising normal brain functions.

NeuroSearch is evaluating ACR16 in a pivotal programme for the treatment of
Huntington's disease, comprising of a European Phase III study, MermaiHD, and a
North American Phase IIb confirmatory study, HART. ACR16 has previously been
evaluated in a Phase II Proof of Concept study in Huntington's disease with
positive results showing a statistically significant improvement in patients'
motor function (gait and Parkinsonism) as well as improvements in their
attention and psychiatric symptoms. Further, ACR16 has been studied in clinical
Phase I studies in Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia
with favourable and consistent results.

ACR16 was discovered by NeuroSearch, which holds the global rights to the
compound. Both the European (EMEA) and the US (FDA) Health Authorities have
granted ACR16 orphan drug designation for the treatment of Huntington's
disease.


Huntington's disease
Huntington's disease is a fatal, hereditary neurodegenerative genetic disorder,
which leads to damage of the nerve cells in certain areas of the brain
including the basal ganglia and the cerebral cortex. Patients with Huntington's
disease experience a wide variety of symptoms, including severe motor
disturbances (both lack of voluntary movements and involuntary movements),
cognitive impairment and psychiatric disorders. Symptoms onset is typically
around 35 and 45 years of age and patients hereafter have a life expectancy of
10 to 15 years.

The disease occurs at a rate of about one in every 10,000 in most western
countries with an estimated 70,000 affected patients in North America and
Europe. In other parts of the world the prevalence of Huntington's disease is
lower, and the total number of patients affected with the disease outside North
America and Europe is estimated at 30,000 to 35,000. The rate of diagnose also
varies among geographic regions.

After symptoms onset the disease progresses without remission, and eventually
every person afflicted by Huntington's disease will require full-time care.
There is currently no cure or effective treatment for Huntington's disease and
only a limited number of novel drugs in development.

About NeuroSearch
NeuroSearch (NEUR) is a Scandinavian biopharmaceutical company listed on Nasdaq
OMX Copenhagen. The core business of the company covers the development of
novel pharmaceutical agents, based on a broad and well-established drug
discovery platform focusing on ion channels and central nervous system (CNS)
disorders. A substantial share of the activities is partner financed through
strategic alliances with Eli Lilly and Company and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), and
license collaboration with Abbott. The drug pipeline comprises seven clinical
(Phase I-III) development programmes: ACR16 for Huntington's disease (Phase
III), tesofensine for obesity (Phase III ready), ABT-894 for ADHD (Phase II) in
partnership with Abbott, ACR325 to treat dyskinesias in Parkinson's disease
(Phase II ready), ACR343 for schizophrenia (Phase I), ABT-560 for the treatment
of various CNS disorders (Phase I) in collaboration with Abbott, and NSD-788
for anxiety/depression (Phase I). In addition, NeuroSearch has a broad
portfolio of preclinical drug candidates and holds equity interests in several
biotech companies.

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