VIENNA, Austria, March 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, AFFiRiS AG presented the evaluation of secondary endpoints of a clinical phase I study of their Alzheimer's vaccine AD02. The programme has been successful in respect of stabilising the cognitive performance and body weight of subjects during the 18-month study period. In nine out of twelve subjects who had received the vaccine with adjuvants the cognitive capabilities were clearly better than would have been expected due to the disease's progress. In addition, Alzheimer's patients usually lose weight, since their sense of taste can be impaired or they forget to take in food. By contrast, a preservation of body weight was recorded in the vaccinated subjects.

In October 2008, AFFiRiS AG entered into a licensing and option agreement with GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals. The agreement has a potential total value of 430 million Euro of which 36 million has already been paid. "International corporations such as GlaxoSmithKline, Siemens, Boehringer Ingelheim or Merck have recognized Austria as a business location and are expanding their research capacities. Policy has created a suitable framework: a R&D quota of 2.76 percent of GDP in 2010 that should increase to 4 percent by 2020. This will also benefit the dynamic Austrian life sciences, which is currently making some of the most important deals of the European biotechnology industry with international institutional investors" comments Dr. René Siegl, Managing Director of the Austrian Business Location Agency ABA-Invest in Austria.

Information for editorial staff

ABA - Invest in Austria is a business location agency owned by the Austrian Ministry of Economic Affairs. It advises interested companies free of charge on the choice of location, on work and tax law issues, helps in the search for cooperation partners and assists in contacts with authorities. Interested companies are looked after by colleagues in the Vienna headquarters and offices in New York and Tokyo.

    
    Hanni Grassauer
 
    ABA - Invest in Austria
    Vienna, Austria
    Tel. +43-1-588-58-57
    E-mail: h.grassauer@aba.gv.at

Internet: http://www.investinaustria.at