Hutchison MediPharma Wins ACG

RNS Number : 9661G

Hutchison China Meditech Limited

30 October 2008

 



Hutchison China MediTech Limited ('Chi-Med') 

(AIM: HCM)

Hutchison MediPharma wins the 2008 American College of Gastroenterology International Award

London: Thursday, 30 October 2008: Hutchison MediPharma Limited ('Hutchison MediPharma'), the wholly owned pharmaceutical research and development subsidiary of Chi-Med, today announces that it has received the 2008 International Award from the American College of Gastroenterology ('ACG') for its presentation entitled 'Herbal Extract HMPL-004 in Active Ulcerative Colitis: A Randomized Comparison with Sustained Release Mesalamine.'

Hutchison MediPharma's presentation was made in the plenary session for inflammatory bowel diseases ('IBD') of the ACG's 73rd annual meeting in Orlando, Florida, on 6 October 2008.  In this presentation, Hutchison MediPharma released positive clinical study results of HMPL-004 for treating ulcerative colitis ('UC'). The study was completed in China last year, and as a result, Hutchison MediPharma is currently conducting a phase II clinical trial for Crohn's disease and a phase IIb trial for UC globally in both US and European sites.

Dr. Samantha Du, Chief Scientific Officer of Chi-Med and CEO of Hutchison MediPharma commented: 'We very much appreciate the honour of this award. The medical community is in great need of safer and more effective drugs for the IBD therapeutic area, and HMPL-004 has shown potential in providing a good alternative to the existing treatments.'   

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Enquiries

Chi-Med   Christian Hogg, CEO	Telephone: [phone]
Citigate Dewe Rogerson   Anthony Carlisle    David Dible	Telephone: [phone] [phone] [phone]

About ACG

With members of more than 10,000 physicians from 75 countries, ACG delivers the most accurate and up-to-date scientific information on digestive health and the etiology, symptomatology and treatment of gastrointestinal ('GI') disorders. The college is focused on improving the future of clinical gastroenterology and the quality of care available to patients with GI conditions and diseases.

About HMPL-004

HMPL-004 is an orally active, proprietary botanical product that acts on multiple targets in the pathogenesis of inflammation. It is a compound extracted from a Chinese herb that has extensive history of use in China and South East Asia against respiratory infections and inflammation. Chi-Med's extensive preclinical work with HMPL-004 has shown that HMPL-004 acts on multiple cellular targets in the inflammatory signal transduction pathways resulting in suppressed inflammation cytokine expression. The novel mechanism of action of HMPL-004, compared to current conventional chemical therapies, including Mesalazine, allows it to access a unique patient population.

About Chi-Med

Chi-Med is the holding company of a pharmaceutical and healthcare group based primarily in China and was admitted to trading on the Alternative Investment Market of the London Stock Exchange in May 2006. It is focused on researching, developing, manufacturing, and selling pharmaceuticals, health supplements and other consumer health and personal care products derived from Traditional Chinese Medicine and botanical ingredients. 

Hutchison MediPharma Limited ('Hutchison MediPharma') in Shanghai, is Chi-Med's wholly-owned drug R&D subsidiary and has at its disposal a team of around 200 scientists and staff focusing on discovery and development of botanical drugs, semi-synthetic natural product drugs, and synthetic single chemical entity drugs. Hutchison MediPharma currently has two candidates in clinical development in both the US and China. HMPL-002, a radiosensitiser for head and neck cancer and non-small cell lung cancer, is in Phase I/II studies in the US and in proof-of-concept in China. HMPL-004, an inhibitor to a group of inflammatory cytokines, has completed the Phase II proof-of-concept study in Ulcerative Colitis in China. It is currently in Phase II studies in Crohn's disease in the US and Phase IIb multicenter global studies in Ulcerative Colitis. Hutchison MediPharma also has a pipeline of single new chemical entity discovery projects in both the auto-immune/inflammatory disease and oncology therapeutic areas. 

Chi-Med is majority owned by Hutchison Whampoa Limited, an international company listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited.

 

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