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MultiCell Technologies Fulfills Upfront
License Fee Payment Obligation to Amarin Neuroscience for MCT-125
MCT-125 Could Generate Up to $3 Billion in
Cumulative Worldwide Sales for Treatment of Primary Chronic Fatigue
Associated with MS
SAN
DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MultiCell Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB:MCET - News), developing
first-in-class drugs based on advanced immune system modulation and other
proprietary technologies, today announced that the Company has completed
payment of all upfront license fees related to its acquisition of MCT-125,
a breakthrough drug candidate being developed as a treatment for primary
chronic fatigue associated with multiple sclerosis (MS).
The payment was
completed pursuant to the terms of the amended license agreement with Amarin
Neuroscience Ltd. MultiCell estimates MCT-125 could generate up to $3
billion in cumulative worldwide sales during the time MCT-125 is under
patent protection. If such revenue forecasts are realized by MCT-125, under
the terms of the agreement, Amarin could receive up to $275 million in
milestone payments and cumulative royalty payments during the same period.
"MCT-125 is one of
our leading therapeutic candidates because it promises to be among the
first treatments for the debilitating effects of chronic fatigue caused by
multiple sclerosis," said Dr. Stephen M. Chang, Chief Executive
Officer of MultiCell Technologies.
MCT-125 targets fatigue
associated with MS, an autoimmune disease in which immune cells attack and
destroy the myelin sheath protecting neurons in the brain and spinal cord.
About two million people worldwide are afflicted with MS, and approximately
70 percent of them report fatigue as the worst symptom of their disease.
In a 138 patient,
multi-center, double-blind placebo controlled Phase II clinical trial
conducted in the UK by Amarin, MCT-125 (then known as LAX-202) demonstrated
efficacy in significantly reducing the levels of fatigue, with few if any
side effects, in all MS patient populations enrolled in the study including
relapse-remitting, secondary progressive and primary progressive.
About MultiCell
Technologies, Inc.
MultiCell Technologies,
Inc. is an integrated biopharmaceutical company committed to the
development of breakthrough therapeutics based on a portfolio of therapeutic
candidates and patented drug development technology. MultiCell's drug
development program is focused on modulation of the immune system.
MultiCell's therapeutic
pipeline includes drug candidates some of which are in various advanced
stages of human clinical trials. These therapies include:
- MCT-125 for the treatment of
chronic fatigue in MS patients. MCT-125 completed a Phase II clinical
trial and demonstrated significant efficacy in reducing chronic
fatigue in MS patients. There is no drug specifically approved for the
treatment of chronic fatigue in MS patients anywhere in the world.
- MCT-175 for the treatment of
relapsing-remitting MS. MCT-175, in preclinical development for the
treatment of relapsing-remitting MS, targets disease specific autoaggressive
T-cells that destroy the myelin sheath of nerve cells. MCT-175
successfully ameliorated the disease in animal models.
- MCT-275 for the treatment of
type-1 diabetes. MCT-275, in preclinical development, targets
disease-specific autoaggressive T-cells that destroy insulin producing
cells in the pancreas. MCT-275 completely reversed the type-1 diabetic
phenotype and prolonged life in animal models.
- MCT-465 in an adjuvant
therapy for the treatment of virus infection and cancer. MCT-465 in
preclinical studies successfully reduced pulmonary influenza virus
levels 1,000-fold in animal models, and has demonstrated effectiveness
in reducing virus levels of HIV and HCV in animal models. MCT-465 in
preclinical studies successfully eliminated certain types of tumors in
animal models.
The Company also holds
unique cell-based technology for use in drug discovery screening
applications, and is a leading producer of the cell lines needed by the
biotechnology industry to develop new drugs and therapeutics.
For more information
about MultiCell Technologies, please visit http://www.multicelltech.com. For
investor information about MultiCell, please visit http://www.trilogy-capital.com/tcp/multicell.
Caution Regarding
Forward-Looking Statements
Any statements in this
press release about MultiCell's expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives,
assumptions or future events or performance are not historical facts and are
forward-looking statements for purposes of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Act"). These statements are
often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as
"believe," "will," "expect,"
"anticipate," "estimate," "intend,"
"plan," "forecast," "could," and
"would." Examples of such forward looking statements include
statements regarding the timing, design, scope, and anticipated results of
our clinical development of MCT-125, and statements regarding expected milestone
and royalty payments to Amarin and worldwide sales relating to MCT-125.
MultiCell bases these forward-looking statements on current expectations
about future events. They involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties
and assumptions that may cause actual results, levels of activity,
performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or
implied by any forward-looking statement. Some of the risks, uncertainties
and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from
estimates or projections in the forward-looking statement include, but are
not limited to, the risk that we might not achieve our anticipated clinical
development milestones, receive regulatory approval, or successfully
commercialize MCT-125 as expected, the market for our products will not
grow as expected, and the risk that our products will not achieve
expectations. For additional information about risks and uncertainties
MultiCell faces, see documents MultiCell files with the SEC, including
MultiCell's report on Form 10-KSB for the fiscal year ended November 30, 2004, and all our quarterly and other periodic SEC filings.
MultiCell claims the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking
statements under the Act and each assume no obligation and expressly
disclaim any duty to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events
or circumstances after the date of this news release or to reflect the
occurrence of subsequent events.
Contact:
MultiCell Technologies, Inc.
Dr. Stephen Chang, 858.200.0598
MCETInvestor@MultiCelltech.com
or
SmallcapInsights.com
Dr. John Faessel, 858-587-8590
editors@smallcapinsights.com
or
Trilogy Capital Partners (Financial Communications)
Paul Karon, 800-592-6067
paul@trilogy-capital.com
Source: Business Wire (Friday December 15, 6:30 am ET)
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