NOVATO, Calif., July 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Raptor Pharmaceuticals Corp. ("Raptor" or the "Company") (OTC Bulletin Board: RPTP), today announced that Patrice P. Rioux, M.D., Ph.D., Raptor's Chief Medical Officer, will present an update on the Company's ongoing Phase 2b study of delayed-release cysteamine bitartrate ("DR Cysteamine") for the potential treatment of cystinosis, and its plans for further clinical development of the product candidate, at the Cystinosis Research Network ("CRN") Family Conference, taking place July 16-18, 2009 in Atlanta, GA.
Cystinosis is a rare genetic disease characterized by the abnormal transport of cystine, an amino acid, out of the lysosomes. Patients are typically diagnosed in the first two years of life. Failure to treat cystinosis can cause serious health consequences, including renal failure (and resultant kidney transplant), growth failure, rickets, photophobia and blindness. Cystinosis is typically treated with an immediate-release form of cysteamine bitartrate, which is currently the only therapeutic treatment available to cystinosis patients.
DR Cysteamine is Raptor's proprietary, enteric-coated micro-bead formulation of cysteamine bitartrate contained in a gelatin capsule and designed for improved absorption, less frequent dosing and improved tolerability relative to the current standard of care. Published studies have shown that fewer than 25% of patients taking immediate-release cysteamine bitartrate are fully-compliant due to a strict every-six hour dosing schedule and dose-limiting side effects, including gastrointestinal ("GI") problems such as stomach aches, nausea and vomiting.
Dr. Rioux stated, "We greatly appreciate all the support that we receive from the CRN and the broader cystinosis community. At the conference we look forward to interacting directly with the medical, research and patient communities regarding
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