DuoCort Hosts Adrenal Insufficiency Symposium

HELSINGBORG, Sweden, April 14, 2008 / b3c newswire / - DuoCort AB announced today that it will host a satellite symposium – Optimized Care for Adrenal Insufficiency – at the 10th European Congress of Endocrinology (ECE 2008) at the Internationale Congress Centrum in Berlin. The symposium will be held on Tuesday May 6, 1pm–2.30pm, in Hall 7. All delegates attending ECE 2008 are invited to the symposium.

Prof emer Michael Besser will chair the symposium, which also features a number of other authorities in the field: Dr John Newell-Price, Prof Brian R Walker, and Dr Gudmundur Johannsson, Chief Medical Officer of DuoCort. The symposium will cover key aspects and recent developments in therapy for adrenal insufficiency, including choice of glucocorticoid and dosing, outcomes from current therapy, and ways to improve glucocorticoid replacement therapy.

DuoCort is developing a once-daily dual-release hydrocortisone tablet for adrenal insufficiency.

In December 2007, DuoCort completed the targeted enrolment in the pivotal phase II-III clinical trial evaluating 5 mg and 20 mg DuoCort™ dual-release hydrocortisone tablets for the treatment of adrenal insufficiency – the inability of the body to produce sufficient amounts of the essential hormone cortisol. The first data from the study is expected to be available in Q3 2008.

“Current research confirms that conventional therapy is suboptimal and is not serving these patients as well as it should. There is scope for improvement in the delivery of cortisol replacement and we are convinced DuoCort will deliver better long-term outcomes. This trial is a major step toward offering a better treatment option for patients with adrenal insufficiency”, commented Dr Johannsson.

Link to the news release:
http://www.b3c.de/php/popup.php?id=99 

For more information about DuoCort and its drug development programs, contact Greg Batcheller, CEO, tel. +46 46 288 5008. www.duocort.com

Notes to the editor

About adrenal insufficiency
Recent research on adrenal insufficiency patients taking currently available glucocorticoid replacement therapy demonstrates reduced bone density, unfavourable cardiovascular risk profiles and compromised quality of life and well-being. Recent data also suggest an almost 3-fold increased mortality. Improvement in the replacement regimen and replacement strategy is therefore essential. Chronic adrenal insufficiency is a rare disease that affects over 125,000 patients in the European Union and over 100,000 in North America.

About DuoCort™ dual-release hydrocortisone
DuoCort™ dual-release 5 mg and 20 mg hydrocortisone tablets for patients with chronic adrenal insufficiency were granted an Orphan Medicinal Product Designation in the European Union in May 2006. DuoCort’s objective is to improve today’s glucocorticoid replacement therapy with a tablet that delivers a more physiological profile of hydrocortisone, better mimicking the body’s natural cortisol release by combining rapid release and extended release characteristics. DuoCort™ is a once-daily tablet that is more convenient than current therapy.

About DuoCort AB
DuoCort AB is a drug development company focused on improving glucocorticoid therapy in areas of significant unmet medical need. The company is based in Helsingborg, Sweden.