Creabilis Appoints Professor Gil Yosipovitch and Professor Praveen Anand to its Scientific Advisory Board

CANTERBURY, England, July 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Creabilis SA, a late stage European dermatology company with a focus on chronic pruritus (itch), today announces that it has appointed Professor Gil Yosipovitch and Professor Praveen Anand to its Scientific Advisory Board.

Gil Yosipovitch is the newly announced Chair of the Department of Dermatology and Director of the Temple Itch Center at Temple University School of Medicine, and is one of the world's renowned experts in pruritus. He was formerly Professor of Dermatology, Neurobiology and Anatomy and Regenerative Medicine at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

Professor Yosipovitch`s major clinical interest is pruritus, and his research focuses on the neurophysiology of itch. He chaired the first International Workshop for the Study of Itch in Singapore in 2001 and is the founder and past president of the International Forum for the Study of Itch (IFSI), which is a multidisciplinary international association of clinicians and researchers dedicated to improving the understanding of itch.

Professor Yosipovitch serves on the Editorial board of seven dermatology journals including the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (JAAD), Experimental Dermatology and Acta Dermatol Venereol. He has been awarded several prestigious awards including the Rothschild Foundation award, and the Leo Foundation award in 2012 for research on itch. He has an MD from the Sackler Faculty of Medicine at Tel- Aviv University, Israel.

Praveen Anand is Professor of Clinical Neurology and Head of the Centre for Clinical Translation at Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, UK. Professor Anand is an internationally recognised scientist and clinical researcher in chronic pain.  His research focuses on the pathophysiological and molecular mechanisms in human sensory neuropathies and chronic pain syndromes.

Professor Anand has been involved in several collaborations with pharmaceutical companies that bridge the gap between pre-clinical developments and their successful clinical applications.  This translational approach has guided the recent success of three novel pain drugs from the laboratory to Phase 2 trials for chronic neuropathic pain.  

Professor Anand received his medical education at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. His post-graduate training was at the Hammersmith Hospital and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London.  

On the Advisory Board, Professors Anand and Yosipovitch join other leaders in their fields including Professor Jonathan Barker (Head of Department at St John's Institute of Dermatology, King's College London), Professor Carlo Pincelli (Chief of the Laboratory of Cutaneous Biology, Institute of Dermatology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy) and Professor Lars French (Professor and Chair of the Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland), and Regulatory and Pharmacology industry experts Dr Lee Simon and Dr Alan Bye.

Professor Gil Yosipovitch, commenting on his appointment, said: "I am very honoured to join the Creabilis Scientific Board. Chronic pruritus is a debilitating symptom of many diseases and yet there is an unmet need to develop specific topicals that address itch. Creabilis has delivered clinically meaningful Phase 2b data in pruritus with CT327 which suggests the product has the potential to make a real difference to the lives of patients suffering from the condition. I look forward to working with the experienced Creabilis team to help achieve this goal."

Professor Praveen Anand, commenting on his appointment, said: "I'm delighted to join the Creabilis Scientific Board. Neuropathic pain is an area of significant unmet need. CT340, with its novel dual analgesic and anti-inflammatory mechanism of action and strong pre-clinical data has the potential to meet this need. Creabilis is at an exciting stage of its development, with CT327 in late stage development for chronic pruritus and CT340 IND-ready in neuropathic pain. Given the mechanistic similarities between pruritus and pain, I am excited to begin working with Creabilis to realise the potential of both CT340 and CT327."

Professor Jonathan Barker, Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board said: "Professors Anand and Yosipovitch bring further world-class expertise to an outstanding Advisory Board which will allow the Board to provide key scientific and clinical advice to Creabilis. It is a reflection of the quality of Creabilis' recent clinical data with CT327 in chronic pruritus, and pre-clinical data with CT340 in neuropathic pain, that we have been able to attract individuals of Gil and Praveen's calibre to our Scientific Advisory Board."  

About Creabilis SA

Creabilis is a late clinical stage European biotechnology company with a primary focus in chronic pruritus (itch), a debilitating symptom of many dermatological diseases with a negative impact on quality of life. Chronic pruritus is an area of significant unmet need, with no medicine currently approved for its treatment.

Creabilis has delivered positive Phase 2b results for CT327 in the treatment of pruritus in psoriasis patients. CT327 is a novel, first-in-class, topically delivered TrkA kinase inhibitor. CT327 was developed using Creabilis' proprietary Low Systemic Exposure (LSE) 'topical-by-design' technology. LSE creates molecules optimized for topical applications. Planning for Phase 3 with CT327 is underway, with a clear route to market and an estimated >$800m in peak annual sales.

Creabilis' pipeline also includes CT340, a potent narrow spectrum kinase inhibitor in development for the topical treatment of neuropathic pain, an area of significant unmet medical need. Like CT327, CT340 was developed using the Company's Low Systemic Exposure (LSE) technology. CT340 is IND-ready and first-in-human studies will commence in 2013.

Creabilis is backed by highly respected life science investors Sofinnova Partners, Neomed and AbbVie Biotech Ventures Inc., and is led by an experienced Management team, with over 100 years of combined R&D experience in pharma and biotech, and over 20 drug approvals. Creabilis has corporate and R&D functions in the UK and Italy.

For further information please contact:

Creabilis
Eliot Forster
eforster@creabilis-sa.com
Creabilis Ltd
6 Denne Hill Business Centre
Canterbury CT4 6HD
                   
Citigate Dewe Rogerson
Chris Gardner or Nina Enegren
Tel: +44(0)20-7282-1050
E-mail: nina.enegren@citigatedr.co.uk