MPM.L Regulatory News (MPM)

5 Feb 2008 07:00

Minster Pharmaceuticals PLC05 February 2008 For immediate release 5 February 2008 MINSTER PHARMACEUTICALS PLC ("Minster" or "the Company") TEMPUS study enrols first 125 patients Minster Pharmaceuticals plc (AIM: MPM), the drug development companyspecialising in neurological and psychiatric disorders, is pleased to announcethat 125 patients have now been enrolled in the Company's TEMPUS study oftonabersat in the preventive treatment of migraine, representing 25 per cent ofthe patients planned to take part in the trial. The TEMPUS study (Tonabersat Evaluation in Migraine Prevention in the UnitedStates) is a Phase IIb trial of around 500 patients, the first of which wereenrolled in Q4 2007. The primary endpoint of the study, which is on track toreport in Q4 2008, is the reduction in the number of migraine attacks thatpatients suffer during the last eight weeks of a 20 week treatment period. The study has attracted many of the key opinion leaders in migraine throughoutNorth America at specialist and general centres, where the need for aneffective, preventive treatment for migraine is widely recognised. The principal investigator for the study is Professor Richard Lipton, Professor & Vice Chair of Neurology and Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. In the study, patients receive either tonabersat or placebo on a once-daily basis. Tonabersat, Minster's lead compound, is in an exciting new class of drugs calledgap junction blockers that offer the potential to prevent the onset of migraineas a preferred alternative to acute treatment. Paul Sharpe, Minster Pharmaceuticals' Chief Executive, said: "We are delightedto have enrolled 25 per cent of the patients for our TEMPUS study of tonabersatin the prevention of migraine, which has attracted significant interest in bothspecialist and general centres throughout North America. There is a clear needfor an effective, preventive treatment for migraine, which remains asignificantly under-treated condition." For further information: Minster Pharmaceuticals plc Tel: +44 (0) 1799 506623Paul Sharpe, Chief Executive OfficerRobert Aubrey, Chief Financial Officer Buchanan Communications Tel: +44 (0) 20 7466 5000Mark CourtRebecca Skye Dietrich Nomura Code Securities Limited Tel: +44 (0) 20 7776 1200Richard PottsGerard Harper Notes for editors: About Minster Pharmaceuticals plc Minster Pharmaceuticals is a drug development company focussed on neurologicaland psychiatric disorders. Its principal pipeline assets are tonabersat, underdevelopment in the preventive treatment of migraine, and sabcomeline inschizophrenia. Worldwide rights to both compounds were acquired fromGlaxoSmithKline and the compounds benefit from comprehensive safety tolerancedata as a result of investment by GSK. Tonabersat is the most advanced compound in an exciting new class of drugscalled gap junction blockers, which have significant potential in the preventionof migraine and other major neurological conditions. Sabcomeline, a muscarinicpartial agonist, has potential in the treatment of chronic schizophrenia. Minster's near-term focus is on the development and commercialisation of itscurrent pipeline. Its medium term strategy is to leverage the anticipatedcashflows from the current pipeline by in-licensing further compounds with theultimate objective of creating a substantial and highly efficient drugdevelopment enterprise focussed on the central nervous system. Minster joined the AIM market in February 2005 and trades under the symbol MPM.For further information please visit www.minsterpharma.com . This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange