Amorfix provides corporate update on ALS therapeutic program
 

Amorfix provides corporate update on ALS therapeutic program
TSX: AMF

TORONTO, July 8 /CNW/ - Amorfix Life Sciences, a company focused on
treatments and diagnostics for brain wasting diseases, today announced that
its therapy program for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), commonly referred
to as Lou Gehrig's disease, is on schedule for completion of antibody infusion
studies this fall.
Amorfix recently hosted a meeting of its Scientific Advisory Board and
research collaboration partner Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) to review progress
and data from this program. All parties were supportive of the program and
approved the plan for the final ALS animal treatment study under the research
collaboration. This study of antibody injection into ALS mice is expected to
be completed in September with data and final analysis of results in the
fourth quarter of calendar 2008.
"Our ALS program is on track for results of our antibody approach to
treatment of this devastating disease later this year. We are currently
testing two candidate antibody therapies at low and high dose regimes to
compare their potential efficacy," said Dr. Neil Cashman, Chief Scientific
Officer of Amorfix. "We continue to develop an ALS vaccine as an alternate
approach."
Biogen Idec has an option to license the exclusive worldwide rights to
Amorfix's technology to develop and commercialize biotherapeutics directed
against ALS. If Biogen Idec exercises its option, Amorfix will receive an
upfront payment and potential milestone payments in excess of US$25 million
under the license agreement. Amorfix will also receive royalties on commercial
product sales. If the option is exercised, Biogen Idec will be responsible for
completing preclinical and clinical development, regulatory approvals,
manufacturing and commercialization.

About Amorfix

Amorfix Life Sciences Ltd. (TSX:AMF) is a theranostics company developing
therapeutic products and diagnostic devices targeting brain-wasting diseases
including ALS, Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease and variant
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD). Amorfix's proprietary Epitope Protection(TM)
(EP) technology enables it to specifically identify very low levels of
aggregated misfolded proteins (AMP) in a sample of normal protein. Aggregated
misfolded proteins are a common element of many brain wasting diseases and the
ability to identify AMPs and understand their structure and mechanism of
folding are the first steps to developing new treatments for these devastating
diseases. Amorfix's lead programs are a diagnostic blood screening test for
vCJD and a therapy for ALS.

For further information: Dr. George Adams, President & Chief Executive
Officer, Amorfix Life Sciences Ltd., Tel: (416) 847-6959, Fax: (416) 847-6899,
george.adams@amorfix.com; James Parsons, Chief Financial Officer, Amorfix Life
Sciences Ltd., Tel: (416) 847-6929, Fax: (416) 847-6899,
james.parsons@amorfix.com