Élan
Encyclopedia
Élan Corporation plc is a major drugs firm based in Athlone, County Roscommon
County Roscommon
County Roscommon is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the town of Roscommon. Roscommon County Council is the local authority for the county...

, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

 which has major interests in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. In the late 1990s its value on the Irish Stock Exchange
Irish Stock Exchange
-History:The Irish Stock Exchange is Ireland's only stock exchange and has been in existence since 1793. It is an Irish private company limited by guarantee. It was first recognised by legislation in 1799 when the Irish Parliament passed the Stock Exchange Act...

 reached over
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...

20bn. It has secondary listings on the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...

 and the New York Stock Exchange
New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located at 11 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies at 13.39 trillion as of Dec 2010...

. It was one of Ireland's major business success stories. However in the early years of 2000's an accounting scandal and investor
Investor
An investor is a party that makes an investment into one or more categories of assets --- equity, debt securities, real estate, currency, commodity, derivatives such as put and call options, etc...

 reactions to the global slump, caused a major devaluation resulting in a share
Stock
The capital stock of a business entity represents the original capital paid into or invested in the business by its founders. It serves as a security for the creditors of a business since it cannot be withdrawn to the detriment of the creditors...

 price slump of over 90%. Since then the company has regained its growth path under the reign of a new American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 CEO Kelly Martin. Élan employs over 2,000 people worldwide. It is listed on the New York Stock Exchange
New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located at 11 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies at 13.39 trillion as of Dec 2010...

 as ELN, the Irish Stock Exchange
Irish Stock Exchange
-History:The Irish Stock Exchange is Ireland's only stock exchange and has been in existence since 1793. It is an Irish private company limited by guarantee. It was first recognised by legislation in 1799 when the Irish Parliament passed the Stock Exchange Act...

 as ELN.I, and the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...

 as ELN.L. Reformulations for client-based projects has contributed to more than $9 billion in in-market sales for these clients. Currently more than 2.5 million patients take Élan's products worldwide.

In July 2010, Elan was fined $203m for its marketing of epilepsy drugs. Despite the controversy surrounding Elan, the company reported a 10% rise in Profits during the first half of 2010

Products in development

In neurology, Élan is focused on building upon its breakthrough research and extensive experience in the area of neuropathology-related disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, where the company’s efforts include programs focused on small molecule inhibitors of beta secretase and gamma secretase
Gamma secretase
Gamma secretase is a multi-subunit protease complex, itself an integral membrane protein, that cleaves single-pass transmembrane proteins at residues within the transmembrane domain. Proteases of this type are known as intramembrane proteases...

, enzymes whose actions are thought to affect the accumulation of the amyloid plaques found in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. An example of such a molecule is semagacestat
Semagacestat
Semagacestat was a candidate drug for a causal therapy against Alzheimer's disease. It was originally developed by Eli Lilly and Élan, and clinical trials were conducted by Eli Lilly...

. Élan is also studying other neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease. Élan, in collaboration with Wyeth, is currently conducting a Phase III clinical trial for bapineuzumab
Bapineuzumab
Bapineuzumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that acts on the nervous system and has potential therapeutic value for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and possibly glaucoma....

, an experimental humanized monoclonal antibody
Antibody
An antibody, also known as an immunoglobulin, is a large Y-shaped protein used by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign objects such as bacteria and viruses. The antibody recognizes a unique part of the foreign target, termed an antigen...

 with a targeted indication of immunotherapeutic
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is a medical term defined as the "treatment of disease by inducing, enhancing, or suppressing an immune response". Immunotherapies designed to elicit or amplify an immune response are classified as activation immunotherapies. While immunotherapies that reduce or suppress are...

 treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. This humanized monoclonal antibody is designed and engineered to clear the neurotoxic beta-amyloid peptide that accumulates in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Although initial results from an earlier Phase II clinical trial presented in July 2008 were inconclusive, Élan is hopeful that bapineuzumab will prove successful in the treatment of this disease.

In autoimmune diseases, Élan’s primary emphasis is studying cell trafficking to discover ways to provide disease-modifying therapies for autoimmune
Autoimmunity
Autoimmunity is the failure of an organism to recognize its own constituent parts as self, which allows an immune response against its own cells and tissues. Any disease that results from such an aberrant immune response is termed an autoimmune disease...

 diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, systemic inflammatory disorder that may affect many tissues and organs, but principally attacks synovial joints. The process produces an inflammatory response of the synovium secondary to hyperplasia of synovial cells, excess synovial fluid, and the development...

, multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...

 and inflammatory bowel disease
Inflammatory bowel disease
In medicine, inflammatory bowel disease is a group of inflammatory conditions of the colon and small intestine. The major types of IBD are Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.-Classification:...

. Research efforts are also focused on physiological and neuropathic pain
Pain
Pain is an unpleasant sensation often caused by intense or damaging stimuli such as stubbing a toe, burning a finger, putting iodine on a cut, and bumping the "funny bone."...

.

Natalizumab/Tysabri

Previously named Antegren, natalizumab
Natalizumab
Natalizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody against the cellular adhesion molecule α4-integrin. Natalizumab is used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis and Crohn's disease. It is co-marketed by Biogen Idec and Élan as Tysabri, and was previously named Antegren. Natalizumab is administered by...

 is a drug co-marketed by Biogen Idec
Biogen Idec
Biogen Idec, Inc. is a biotechnology company specializing in drugs for neurological disorders, autoimmune disorders and cancer. The company was formed in 2003 by the merger of Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Biogen Inc. and San Diego, California-based IDEC Pharmaceuticals...

 and Élan as "Tysabri". Tysabri is a monoclonal antibody that inhibits immune cells from crossing blood vessel walls to reach various tissues, including the brain. It has proven efficacy in the treatment of two serious autoimmune disorders: multiple sclerosis, and Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease, also known as regional enteritis, is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that may affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus, causing a wide variety of symptoms...

. In multiple sclerosis, Tysabri was shown to reduce relapses by 67% vs. a placebo in double-blind
Double-blind
A blind or blinded experiment is a scientific experiment where some of the people involved are prevented from knowing certain information that might lead to conscious or subconscious bias on their part, invalidating the results....

 studies. It slowed the progression of disability by 42%. While it is impossible to compare results across different clinical trials, the older generation drugs, i.e. interferons and glatiramer acetate
Glatiramer acetate
Glatiramer acetate is an immunomodulator drug currently used to treat multiple sclerosis...

, are generally acknowledged as demonstrating about a 30-35% decrease in relapse rate vs. placebo; and only two drugs have been shown to decrease the progression of disability, but again only by around 20-40%.

Drug delivery

Elan has developed novel drug delivery systems including its NanoCrystal technology and oral controlled release formulations of drug delivery.

NanoCrystal Technology

For poorly water soluble compounds, Élan's proprietary NanoCrystal technology can enable formulation and improve compound activity and final product characteristics. The NanoCrystal technology can be incorporated into all dosage forms both parenteral and oral, including solid, liquid, fast-melt, pulsed release and controlled release dosage forms.

Drugs

Products and drugs that Élan has developed include:
  • Avinza – once-daily, novel dual release morphine sulphate
  • Emend – oral table form of aprepitant
    Aprepitant
    Aprepitant is an antiemetic chemical compound that belongs to a class of drugs called substance P antagonists . It mediates its effect by blocking the neurokinin 1 receptor.Aprepitant is manufactured by Merck & Co...

    , a poorly water soluble compound
  • Focalin XR – once-daily dexmethylphenidate
    Dexmethylphenidate
    Dexmethylphenidate, otherwise known as d-threo-methylphenidate , is the dextrorotatory enantiomer of methylphenidate. It is a norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor and releasing agent and thus a psychostimulant, which affects the CNS...

     marketed in US and other territories
  • Herbesser R – once-daily, high-potency, sustained release diltiazem
    Diltiazem
    Diltiazem is a non-dihydropyridine member of the class of drugs known as calcium channel blockers, used in the treatment of hypertension, angina pectoris, and some types of arrhythmia....

     for Japanese and other Asian markets
  • Megace ES – concentrated oral suspension utilizing NanoCrystal Technology, marketed in the U.S.
  • NaprÉlan - once-daily, sustained-release naproxen sodium
  • Rapamune - oral tablet form of poorly water soluble compound
  • Ritalin LA – once-daily, pulsatile release of methylphenidate
    Methylphenidate
    Methylphenidate is a psychostimulant drug approved for treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome and narcolepsy. It may also be prescribed for off-label use in treatment-resistant cases of lethargy, depression, neural insult and obesity...

  • Theo-Dur - twice-daily, sustained-release theophylline
    Theophylline
    Theophylline, also known as dimethylxanthine, is a methylxanthine drug used in therapy for respiratory diseases such as COPD and asthma under a variety of brand names. Because of its numerous side-effects, the drug is now rarely administered for clinical use. As a member of the xanthine family, it...

  • TriCor - new formulation of Abbott’s fenofibrate, which can be taken without regard to food, launched in the U.S.
  • VerÉlan - once-daily, sustained-release verapamil
    Verapamil
    Verapamil is an L-type calcium channel blocker of the phenylalkylamine class. It has been used in the treatment of hypertension, angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, and most recently, cluster headaches. It is also an effective preventive medication for migraine...

  • VerÉlan PM – modified release, chronotherapeutic verapamil
    Verapamil
    Verapamil is an L-type calcium channel blocker of the phenylalkylamine class. It has been used in the treatment of hypertension, angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, and most recently, cluster headaches. It is also an effective preventive medication for migraine...

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