Biotie Therapies

Biotie Therapies was a Finnish biotechnology and pharmaceutics company that was acquired by Acorda Therapeutics in January 2016. The company's research and development was focused on drugs for neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders like Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive disorders, alcohol and drug dependence and post traumatic stress disorder, and inflammatory and fibrotic liver disease. The company's headquarters is in Turku, Western Finland, and it is listed on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki.

Biotie Therapies Oyj
TypePublicly traded
Nasdaq Helsinki: BTH1V
Nasdaq: BITI
IndustryBiotechnology
Founded1998
HeadquartersTurku, Finland
Key people
Markku Jalkanen (Founding CEO) Timo Veromaa (CEO), Peter Fellner (Chairman of the Board)
RevenueIncrease € 4.8 million (2012)[1]: p. 11 
Increase (€25.6 million) (2012)[1]: p. 11 
Number of employees
38 (end 2012)[1]: p. 8 
WebsiteBiotie.com

Overview

Biotie Therapies was formed in the merger of Biotie Therapies Corp. (incorporated in 1998),[2] Oy Contral Pharma Ltd and Carbion Inc in the year 2002. In 2008, Biotie Therapies acquired the German pharmaceutical discovery and development company Elbion GmbH in Radebeul. In 2010 Biotie Therapies all preclinical assets were transferred into a new company, biocrea GmbH, in which Biotie become a minority shareholder. In 2011, Biotie acquired a pharmaceutical company, Synosia.[3]

The company has partnering agreements with H. Lundbeck A/S and UCB.[4][5]

In January 2016, Acorda Therapeutics acquired Biotie Therapies for $363 million.[6]

Product pipeline
Name Target indications Partner Status
Selincro (nalmefene) alcohol dependence Lundbeck EU marketing authorization received [7]
Tozadenant SYN115 Parkinson's disease UCB Phase III clinical trials to start 2015 [8]
VAP-1 antibody inflammatory diseases - Phase I clinical trials ready, seeking partner
SYN120 AD, cognitive disorders - Phase I clinical trials ready, seeking partner
Nepicastat SYN117 PTSD, cocaine dependency NIDA PTSD: Phase II clinical trials, results [9]
Cocaine dependency: Phase II clinical trials, in progress
Ronomilast COPD - Phase I clinical trials ready, seeking partner
Nitisinone SYN118 Movement disorder UCB Phase II clinical trials, terminated [10]
Sources:[11]

Selincro (nalmefene)

The company's most advanced product, Nalmefene, for the treatment of alcoholism. Biotie's partner H. Lundbeck A/S received European marketing authorization from the European Commission on 28 February 2013. Lundbeck expects to launch Selincro in its first markets in the middle of 2013.[7]

Studies have shown, that nalmefene has the ability to significantly limit both the patient's average alcohol intake and the number of days with an intake above five units of alcohol. The drug works by removing the patient's desire to drink more, thereby controlling and limiting the intake of alcohol. The drug will be used in tablet form, and taken only according to need. According to the company, this is a novel approach for alcohol dependency treatment; existing treatments are aimed at keeping the patient from drinking and the drugs have to be taken continuously over a longer period of time.[4][12][13]

Tozadenant

SYN115, also called tozadenant, was developed as a potential treatment for Parkinson's disease or other CNS disorders.[14] It was an orally administered, potent and [selective inhibitor of the adenosine A2A receptor.

In January 2016, the company was acquired by Acorda Therapeutics, for US$363 million.[15] In November 2017, the company announced discontinuation of the agent following the death of 5 patients enrolled in the tozadenant Phase III trial from agranulocytosis and associated severe adverse events possibly related to tozadenant.[16][17]

VAP-1

Vascular Adhesion Protein-1 (VAP-1) monoclonal antibody - intended for treatment of inflammatory diseases, is currently in Phase I clinical trials with rheumatoid arthritis patients. According to the company, inhibiting VAP-1 reduces inflammation by regulating the migration of leukocytes, or white blood cells, to inflamed tissues. Pathological accumulation of white blood cells in tissue is a common feature in many autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, and psoriasis.

Nepicastat

SYN117 also called nepicastat is a treatment for cocaine dependency and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is orally administered, potent and selective inhibitor of the enzyme dopamine β-hydroxylase (DBH).[18]

Ronomilast

Ronomilast is a PDE4 inhibitor for chronic inflammatory disorders. It is a small molecule phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor (PDE4). The product is developed for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Data from pre-clinical and early clinical trials indicates that the product has a good safety profile. Biotie is in the process of planning a Phase 2 trial in COPD patients and also seeking a partner for late-stage development of ronomilast.[19]

References
  1. "Financial statements 2012" (PDF). Biotie Therapies. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  2. House, Douglas W. (5 June 2015). "Biotie Therapies on deck for U.S. debut". Seeking Alpha.
  3. "The acquisition of Synosia Therapeutics Holding AG completed" (Press release). Biotie Therapies. February 2, 2011. Archived from the original on August 19, 2011.
  4. Biotie Therapies Oyj Company Description Business Week
  5. "Biotie.com, Collaborations". February 14, 2013. Archived from the original on April 27, 2012.
  6. "Accorda Acquires Biotie Therapies for $363 Million - GEN News Highlights - GEN".
  7. "Biotie: Selincro (nalmefene) receives European marketing authorization" (Press release). Biotie Therapies. 28 February 2013. Archived from the original on June 3, 2013.
  8. "Stock Exchange Release 27 February 2013" (Press release). Biotie Therapies. 27 February 2013. Archived from the original on June 3, 2013.
  9. "Biotie reports top-line data from clinical study with nepicastat (SYN117) in post-traumatic stress disorder" (Press release). Biotie Therapies. December 27, 2012. Archived from the original on March 4, 2013.
  10. Stock Exchange release 23 November 2011
  11. "Biotie.com, Pipeline". February 14, 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-02-15.
  12. Lundbeck announces start of new phase III clinical trials with nalmefene Archived December 22, 2008, at the Wayback Machine STOCK EXCHANGE RELEASE 15 December 2008 at 9.30 a.m
  13. Balanced CNS and inflammation product pipeline Archived April 25, 2010, at the Wayback Machine Company website 2008-03-15
  14. "Biotie.com, SYN115 (tozadenant): A highly differentiated product for Parkinson's disease". March 26, 2012. Archived from the original on 2011-12-28.
  15. Staff (January 19, 2016). "Acorda Acquires Biotie Therapies for $363 Million". Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News. New Rochelle, New York: Mary Ann Liebert.
  16. "Acorda Discontinues Tozadenant Development Program". Investor News (Press release). Acorda. November 20, 2017. Retrieved 2019-09-24.
  17. Dolhun, Rachel (November 15, 2017). "Parkinson's Tozadenant Trial Discontinued". New York, New York: The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. Retrieved 2019-02-14.
  18. "Biotie.com, SYN117 (nepicastat) for the treatment of cocaine dependency and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)". March 26, 2012. Archived from the original on 2011-11-13.
  19. "Biotie.com, Ronomilast: PDE4 inhibitor for chronic inflammatory disorders". March 26, 2012. Archived from the original on 2011-11-13.
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