H. Lundbeck A/S (Lundbeck) strengthens its pipeline of pharmaceuticals in clinical development by initiating phase I clinical studies with Lu AE04621 in order to investigate safety, tolerability and the pharmacokinetic profile of the drug in humans. The placebo-controlled study is expected to enrol around 100 healthy individuals.
Lu AE04621 is a novel agent that acts on the areas of the brain that are affected in Parkinson's disease with similar net effect as Lu 02-750, which entered phase I in November 2009. In animal models, the compound has demonstrated very convincing effects when compared to conventional treatments. Expectations are that the compound can offer Parkinson's patients a new and higher level of disease control.
"Our focus at Lundbeck Research is on discovering new innovative treatments that address unmet needs and offer clear benefits to the patients, and we believe that Lu AE04621 has the potential to improve the treatment and quality of life of patients suffering from Parkinson's disease", says Executive Vice President Peter Høngaard Andersen, Head of Research at Lundbeck, and continues: "The parallel testing in humans of Lu 02-750 and Lu AE04621 will enable us to select the most promising compound for further development at an early stage."
About Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is an age-related degenerative disorder of the brain. Symptoms can include tremor, stiffness, slowness of movement and impaired balance. An estimated four million people worldwide suffer from the disease, which usually affects people over the age of 60.
About Lundbeck
H. Lundbeck A/S (LUN.CO, LUN DC, HLUKY) is an international pharmaceutical company highly committed to improve the quality of life for people suffering from central nervous system (CNS) disorders. For this purpose Lundbeck is engaged in the research and development, production, marketing and sale of pharmaceuticals across the world, targeted at disorders like depression and anxiety, schizophrenia, insomnia, Huntington's, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.
Lundbeck was founded in 1915 by Hans Lundbeck in Copenhagen, Denmark, and employs today over 5,700 people worldwide. Lundbeck is one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies working with CNS disorders. In 2009, the company's revenue was DKK 13.7 billion (approximately EUR 1.8 billion or USD 2.6 billion). For more information, please visit www.lundbeck.com.