Trophos successfully completes phase 1 clinical trials for novel compound to treat neurodegenerative diseases

Trials show good patient tolerance, achievement of predicted effective dose, and an excellent safety profile for TRO19622, one of a number of proprietary drug candidates being developed for the treatment of ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease), SMA and other neurological disorders, including neuropathic pain.

Marseille, January 31, 2006 - Trophos, a biopharmaceutical company specialising in the discovery and development of drugs for neurodegenerative diseases, announced today the successful completion of Phase I clinical trials for its lead compound TRO19622.

TRO19622 is representative of a class of novel compounds identified using the proprietary neuronal cell screening platform developed at Trophos. In preclinical studies, these compounds have been demonstrated to promote the survival of a wide range of neurons in vitro, as well as in several in vivo models of neurodegenerative diseases. The clinical trials were conducted in France and involved single and multiple dose studies on healthy adult subjects. TRO19622 was demonstrated to: i) be well tolerated; ii) have achieved the effective clinical dose via the oral route and, iii) have an excellent safety profile.

The successful completion of Phase I means that Trophos now expects to initiate a pivotal Phase II/III clinical trial for the ALS indication in Q4 2006. The trial will be conducted in the USA and Europe. TRO19622 has already been granted orphan drug designation status for the treatment of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) in the USA, and for the treatment of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) in the EU.

"We are excited that TRO19622, the lead molecule discovered using our innovative phenotypic screening platform, has successfully completed these Phase I clinical studies," said Dr Rebecca Pruss, Chief Scientific Officer at Trophos. "This will allow us to proceed into clinical trials of efficacy in ALS patients. Our understanding of the mechanism of action of this class of molecules leads us to believe they have tremendous potential for the treatment of other chronic neurological disorders, including neuropathic pain and Alzheimer's disease."

About ALS: www.alsa.org
ALS, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease in the USA, is a progressive and fatal neurological disease characterized by the loss of motor neurons in the brain and the spinal cord leading to progressive paralysis of the muscles. It is estimated to affect approximately 100,000 people worldwide. There is no cure for ALS. The only drug approved for ALS is riluzole, which has been demonstrated to prolong the life of ALS patients by a few months.

About Trophos: www.trophos.com
Trophos is a biopharmaceutical company developing drugs to treat neurodegenerative diseases. These are severely debilitating, often fatal, disorders with few effective drugs and tremendous unmet medical needs. Trophos has pioneered an innovative phenotypic screening platform which has enabled it to develop a proprietary portfolio of products in preclinical and clinical phases of development. In preclinical studies, compounds in the same class as TRO19622 have been shown to prevent the neuronal degeneration that is involved in the progression of these types of neurological disorders. The company is focusing its efforts on four therapeutic domains: the motoneuron diseases (ALS & SMA), Huntington's disease, neuropathic pain and Alzheimer's disease.

Trophos was founded in 1999 and has raised a total of EUR 30M. This includes EUR 18.3M in equity (2 rounds of approximately EUR 6M) and convertible bonds. Current investors include SGAM, Turenne Capital Partners, Innoveris, SOFIPACA and SOFIMAC. The company has also received EUR 9.4M in the form of research grants from patient associations such as the AFM (Association Française contre les Myopathies) and the HighQ Foundation (USA), and EUR 1.8 M from the French Aide à l'Innovation (ANVAR). Trophos collaborates actively with patient associations who contribute important scientific and clinical expertise related to neurodegenerative diseases, as well as research funding. The company is based in Marseille, France and currently has 35 employees.

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Andrew Lloyd & Associates
Andrew Lloyd / Heidi Thompson
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allo@ala.com  / heidi@ala.com