Berwyn, PA, April 3, 2012 QR Pharma, Inc.(QR), a clinical-stage specialty pharmaceutical company committed to developing novel approaches for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD) and other neurodegenerative disorders, announced today the receipt of a $110,000 investment from Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania (BFTP). This funding is in addition to the $500,000 investment made by BFTP in recent years. This investment will enable the company to continue the development of Posiphen® as a disease modifying therapeutic treatment for patients with AD (see BioCentury Emerging Company Profile May 30, 2011) and patients with PD, for which the company was recently awarded $468,000 in funding.
About Posiphen®:
Posiphen is a small orally active compound with high blood brain barrier permeability, which lowers levels of toxic protein aggregates. It targets the mRNA of a number of proteins that are overexpressed in several neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and Down syndrome. It is in clinical development as an oral treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. Posiphen reduces the rate of synthesis of amyloid precursor protein (APP) in cell cultures, normal, transgenic and trisomic mice as well as in humans. Posiphen also inhibits the synthesis of tau and alpha-synuclein in mice and humans. These neurotoxic aggregating proteins induce dysfunction, neuroinflammation and lead to cognitive impairment and neurodegeneration.
About QR Pharma, Inc:
Headquartered in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, QR Pharma, Inc. is a clinical-stage specialty pharmaceutical company committed to developing therapeutics with novel approaches for the treatment of cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Down syndrome (DS). QR currently has three product development programs Posiphen for early stage AD and PD and BNC for advanced AD. For more information on QR Pharma, please visit the company’s website, http://www.qrpharma.wbprg.pw.
Contact: Maria Maccecchini, CEO
Tel: 610 727 3913
maccecchini@qrpharma.com
http://qrpharma.wbprg.pw