Catalyst Pharmaceutical Partners, Inc.

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Press Release August 31, 2009 — Catalyst has acquired exclusive worldwide rights to commercialize novel GABA aminotransferase inhibitors and derivatives of vigabatrin discovered by Northwestern University. These compounds are significantly more potent than CPP-109, Catalyst's version of vigabatrin, with a potentially better side effect profile, and may have applications to a broad range of neurological diseases, including addiction and epilepsy. More • American Journal of Psychiatry August 3, 2009 — A team including Catalyst Scientific Advisors Brodie , Dewey , and Laska reported positive results for Catalyst's 2007 Phase II trial in Mexico. The paper suggests that vigabatrin may be effective in the treatment of cocaine addiction. Abstract atalyst is a specialty pharmaceutical company of Coral Gables, Florida, that acquires or in-licenses, develops and commercializes prescription drugs for the treatment of drug addiction. Catalyst is developing vigabatrin (designated CPP-109 by Catalyst) for the treatment of addiction to cocaine, methamphetamine and other addictive substances. The National Institute on Drug Abuse has stated that finding a pharmacological treatment for cocaine addiction is their number one research priority. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has recognized that cocaine addiction is a "serious, life-threatening condition for which there is no current drug treatment," and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has stated that finding a pharmacological treatment for cocaine addiction is their number one research priority. Because of the high social and financial cost of addiction , Catalyst's mission to develop a treatment for drug addiction could prove beneficial not only to addicts, but to investors and to society at large. Previous studies in established animal models of addiction, involving both rats and primates, have shown that vigabatrin interrupts the neural mechanisms essential for addiction. In preclinical studies, vigabatrin prevented the characteristic drug-seeking behavior of addicted animals. Three human trials of vigabatrin have been completed in Mexico with patients addicted to cocaine or methamphetamine, including a U.S. Phase II 103-patient, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial completed in 2007. Data from these three trials provide clinical evidence of vigabatrin's potential as a safe and effective treatment for patients with these addictions. Stephen L. Dewey, PhD, researcher on vigabatrin courtesy Brookhaven National Laboratory Most of the research on vigabatrin to treat addiction has emerged from work performed over the last 12 years at the Brookhaven National Laboratory (Brookhaven). Brookhaven holds various patents relating to its research findings. Catalyst has obtained from Brookhaven an exclusive worldwide license for nine patents in the United States for all rights to use or sell vigabatrin for the treatment of addiction to cocaine, methamphetamine, prescription pain medications, heroin, nicotine and other addictive drugs. In addition, Catalyst's license includes rights to Brookhaven's foreign patents or patents pending in more than 30 countries.

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