NeuroVive Reports Breakthrough in Mitochondrial Myopathy Project

NeuroVive Pharmaceutical AB(Nasdaq Stockholm: NVP, OTCQX: NEVPF) today announced a breakthrough in the company's project NVP025 for developing treatment of mitochondrial myopathy. In an experimental study carried out in collaboration with researchers at Karolinska Instutet in Stockholm, Sweden, the project's model substance has shown favourable effects which may counter disease progression in mitochondrial myopathy.

Professor Håkan Westerblad and his research group at Karolinska Institutet have evaluated the effects of NeuroVive's cyclophilin inhibitors in an experimental model of mitochondrial myopathy. At the end of the study's treatment duration, survival rate was 94 % in the group receiving treatment, compared to 50 % in the control group. Furthermore, muscle function was better in the treated group compared to the control group.

"The results from the study is an important milestone in NeuroVive's NVP025 project. The study shows that our cyclophilin inhibitors can be further developed towards the goal of offering mitochondrial myopathy patients a novel treatment option. We are now taking the project into its next phase, where we will optimize a candidate drug suitable for further development for patients with different types of muscle disorders," says Magnus Hansson, M.D., Ph.D, Chief Medical Officer and head of preclinical and clinical development at NeuroVive.

The researchers at Karolinska Institutet have previously shown that cyclophilin D, which is the target molecule in the NVP025 project, is present at abnormally high levels in the muscles of mitochondrial myopathy patients, and that inhibiting cyclophilin D with cyclosporin A counters the muscle weakness present in the experimental models.1)Cyclophilin inhibitors have also shown favourable effects in experimental models of other muscle disorders, such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy.2)

"The effects of NeuroVive's cyclophilin inhibitor are very exciting and are in line with results from previous studies, where cyclophilin inhibitors have been shown to counter disruption of mitochondrial function and muscle weakness in different models of muscular disorders. We are looking forward to continuing the positive collaboration with NeuroVive and taking the project additional steps forward in development," says Hakan Westerblad, Professor, Karolinska Institutet.

This information is information that NeuroVive Pharmaceutical AB (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out below, at 01:00 p.m. CET on 29 January 2018.