Verona Pharma Release: RPL554 Presentations At ERS Congress Highlight Its Valuable Potential In Combination Therapy For COPD And Other Respiratory Diseases

9 Sept 2014, Cardiff – Verona Pharma plc (AIM: VRP), the drug development company focused on first-in-class medicines to treat respiratory diseases, announces that today two posters discussing the potential of RPL554 as a combination therapy with anticholinergic agents such as glycopyrronium bromide in the treatment of airway disease will be presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Annual Congress in Munich, Germany 6-10 September 2014. The posters will be presented during the session entitled “Novel approaches and evidence for drug development in respiratory disease”. They further characterize the synergistic bronchodilatory action of both agents on large and small airways, expanding on initial work in this area (1).

Both posters support Verona Pharma’s view that RPL554 could become an important, novel and complementary inhaled medicine for the treatment of such respiratory diseases as asthma, COPD and potentially others where effective bronchodilation and/or anti-inflammatory activity is required. Importantly, the presented data suggests the valuable utility of RPL554 as part of combination therapy as well as monotherapy for such diseases. The Company is initially progressing further development of the drug, in nebulised form, as a treatment for severe COPD, for which there is a significant unmet medical need.

The ERS Annual Congress is the largest respiratory meeting in the world, with delegates attending from more than 100 countries. All abstracts and details on timings can be accessed through the ERS website: http://www.erscongress2014.org

The title, timing and location of the poster presentations are as follows

Abstract
P3334
Title:
Long-lasting interaction study between RPL554 and glycopyrronium bromide
Authors: L. Calzetta, M. Cazzola, C. Page, P. Rogliani, F. Facciolo, M. G. Matera (Rome, Naples, Italy; London, United Kingdom)
Session Info: Session 365-Poster Discussion : Novel approaches and evidence for drug development in respiratory diseases
Day/Date: Tuesday, 09 September, 2014
Session Time: 08:30-10:30 CET
Location : Room M-1(B0)

Abstract
P3337
Title:
Interaction between RPL554 and glycopyrronium bromide in small human airways
Authors: L. Calzetta, M. Cazzola, C. Page, P. Rogliani, F. Facciolo, M. G. Matera (Rome, Naples, Italy; London, United Kingdom)
Session Info: Session 365-Poster Discussion : Novel approaches and evidence for drug development in respiratory diseases
Day/Date: Tuesday, 09 September, 2014
Session Time: 08:30-10:30 CET
Location : Room M-1(B0)

(1) Calzetta, L. et al. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. (2013) 346:414-23

For further information please contact:

Verona Pharma plc Tel: +44 (0) 20 7863 3300
Jan-Anders Karlsson, CEO

N+1 Singer Tel: +44 (0)20 7496 3000
Aubrey Powell / Jen Boorer
FTI Consulting Tel: +44 (0)20 3727 1000
Julia Phillips / Simon Conway

Notes to Editors

About Verona Pharma plc
Verona Pharma is developing first-in-class drugs to treat respiratory disease, such as COPD and asthma. The Company currently has two drug programmes, one of which is in Phase II trials for two diseases. The lead programme, RPL554, is an innovative dual phosphodiesterase (PDE) 3 and 4 inhibitor with both bronchodilator and anti-inflammatory properties. In its second programme, Verona Pharma is investigating novel anti-inflammatory molecules, called NAIPs, for a wide range of respiratory and inflammatory diseases.

About RPL554 for the treatment of COPD and Asthma Verona's lead drug, RPL554, is a dual phosphodiesterase (PDE) 3 and 4 inhibitor being developed as a novel treatment for chronic obstructive airways disease such as COPD and asthma with bronchodilator and anti-inflammatory effects. Both effects are essential to improve symptoms in patients with COPD or asthma. RPL554 is currently in Phase II for both diseases.

COPD is a chronic lung disease with significant unmet need for which current treatment is far from optimal, as it often has unwanted side-effects and/or limited effectiveness. COPD is most commonly characterised by fixed airflow obstruction and chronic airways inflammation resulting from exposure to irritants like tobacco smoke. Asthma, which remains one of the most common chronic diseases in the world, is characterised by recurrent breathing problems and symptoms such as breathlessness, wheezing, chest tightness, and coughing. The combined market for COPD and asthma drugs is currently estimated to be GBP20 billion (source: visiongain).

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