BTG AND COLLEGIUM PHARMACEUTICAL TO DEVELOP A MODIFIED RELEASE ASTHMA PRODUCT

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BTG AND COLLEGIUM PHARMACEUTICAL TO DEVELOP A MODIFIED RELEASE ASTHMA PRODUCT
01 October 2006 - BTG

BTG, the medical innovations company, announced today that it has entered into a Collaboration Agreement with Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc., a specialty product development company, to develop CP-141, a novel modified oral formulation of a product used for the treatment of asthma.

The active ingredient in the formulation is currently available in the US and is widely prescribed for the treatment of asthma for children and adults. Collegium will employ its expertise in formulation technologies to develop a product that meets the clinical needs of patients with asthma that have difficulty taking the currently available formulations. There are a large number of asthma patients that are not compliant with the available treatment options due to frequency of dosing or ease of use issues such as inability to swallow pills. The intent of this programme is to develop a flexible, extended release dosage form that will address the needs of these patient populations and in turn increase the compliance rates and overall treatment efficacy. The Collaboration Agreement provides for a development programme that will be co-funded by BTG and Collegium, as well as revenue sharing arrangement between the parties.

Thomas Logan PhD, Vice President, Drug Repositioning, commented: “The development of a modified formulation version of this asthma drug has the potential to benefit a large and currently underserved patient population by addressing a well known compliance issue. We’re very pleased to be working on this with Collegium Pharmaceutical, a strategic partner for BTG as we continue to expand our drug development portfolio.”

Michael Heffernan RPh, President of Collegium, added: “The addition of an asthma product to our ongoing sleep apnoea collaboration with BTG reflects the positive working relationship and synergy between our organisations. Both projects allow us to capitalise on the strengths of each organisation.”

Approximately 17.3 million Americans have asthma. The prevalence of asthma in the general population is 5%, and it has increased 40% in the past decade. Asthma accounts for more school absences and more hospitalisations than any other chronic illness. In most children’s hospitals in the US, it is the most common diagnosis at admission.

This announcement follows one in September 2004 regarding a Collaboration Agreement between the parties to develop a novel drug combination for the treatment of sleep apnoea. Sleep apnoea is a serious respiratory disorder that involves cessation of breathing for prolonged intervals during sleep.

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About: BTG
BTG is an intellectual property and technology commercialisation company that operates internationally. BTG creates value by investing in intellectual property and technology development, and in early stage ventures. We realise value through technology licensing, patent assertion and sale of equity investments. Through a multidisciplinary approach, we apply intellectual property and commercial expertise, together with specialist skills in science and technology, to create major product opportunities in the health and high tech sectors. BTG has commercialised important innovations, including Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Multilevel Cell Memory, Campath (alemtuzumab), the first monoclonal antibody treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, and recombinant Factor IX blood clotting protein. BTG operates through wholly owned subsidiaries BTG International Ltd and BTG International Inc in the UK and USA, respectively.

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