TEVA REPORTS ON NEUROPROTECTION PROPERTIES OF COPAXONE.Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (Hebrew: טבע תעשיות פרמצבטיות בע"מ), NASDAQ: TEVA is an international pharmaceutical company headquartered in , Ltd. (Nasdaq: TEVA), Jerusalem, has announced that European researchers have uncovered new evidence that COPAXONE(R) (glatiramer acetate glatiramer acetate (glahtear´a-meer as´  tāt),n a medication used to decrease or stop a relapse of multiple sclerosis. for injection) not only reduces relapse rate in relapsing- remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) but also encourages the release of a factor that helps protect the brain from axonal axonal pertaining to or arising from an axon. axonal degeneration an axon dies and cannot be replaced if its cell body is destroyed. loss. According to a recent study, COPAXONE(R) stimulates T-cells to produce the neuroprotection factor BDNF BDNF Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor BDNF Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest (Montana) (brain-derived neurotrophic factor Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a neurotrophic factor found in the brain and the periphery. It is a protein that acts on certain neurons of the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system that helps to support the survival of existing neurons and encourage ) in tissue culture using T-cells from a COPAXONE(R) patient. BDNF is one of the most potent factors that encourages nerve tissue nerve tissue n. A highly differentiated tissue composed of nerve cells, nerve fibers, dendrites, and neuroglia. survival and regulates neurotransmitter release and nerve growth. Several previous studies have shown that BDNF can rescue injured or degenerating neurons and encourage axonal outgrowth, remyelinations and nerve regeneration. It also can protect axons from elimination during the course of degenerative diseases. "This study clearly shows that COPAXONE(R) stimulated T-cells produce the neurotrophic factor BDNF. Because we know BDNF plays an important role in protecting and healing axonal damage, it is an important finding and may be an additional mechanism of action for COPAXONE(R)," said Tjalf Ziemssen, Department of Neuroimmunology, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology The Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology [1] is a research institute of the Max Planck Society located in Martinsried, a suburb of Munich. It was created as "Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Psychiatrie" in 1917, and incorporated into the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gesellschaft 1925. , Martinsried, Germany. COPAXONE(R) is now approved in 41 countries worldwide, including the U.S., Canada, Australia, Israel and all the European countries. In Europe, COPAXONE(R)is marketed by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., and Aventis. In North America, COPAXONE(R)is marketed by Teva Neuroscience. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., headquartered in Israel, is among the top 35 pharmaceutical companies in the world. More than 80 percent of Teva's sales are in North America and Europe. The company develops, manufactures and markets generic and branded human pharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients. Teva's innovative R&D focuses on developing novel drugs for diseases of the central nervous system. For more information, visit http://www.tevapharm.com. |
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