Raptor Pharmaceuticals Provides Update on Targeting...( Enters Collaboration on Receptor ...),Health

Enters Collaboration on Receptor Associated Protein (RAP)

Supports NeuroTrans(TM) Platform with Japanese Patent

NOVATO, Calif., Nov. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Raptor Pharmaceuticals Corp. ("Raptor" or the "Company") (OTC Bulletin Board: RPTP), today announced updates on its preclinical program which utilizes drug-targeting platforms derived from the human receptor-associated protein ("RAP") and related proteins. The Company signed a collaborative research agreement with the Brigham and Women's Hospital involving the characterization of certain modified RAP proteins. At the Hospital, this research will be conducted in the laboratory of Dr. Stephen Blacklow. The Company has also announced today a patent issuance in Japan relating to the NeuroTrans(TM) program.

The collaborative research with Brigham and Women's Hospital focuses on RAP sequence variants engineered for improved binding affinity and enhanced stability in complex with receptors. Under terms of the agreement, the Blacklow Laboratory, a substantial contributor to the study of RAP and its interactions, and researchers at Raptor will test RAP sequence variants designed to withstand temperatures, pH and other conditions that normally cause native receptor complexes to fail.

Todd C. Zankel, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Raptor, commented, "We are thrilled with the opportunity to work with Dr. Stephen Blacklow's lab to develop effective RAP-based sequence variants that could increase the utility of RAP-based targeting platforms and potential therapeutics. RAP-based peptides engineered to withstand certain conditions, such as low pH, may bind better and demonstrate enhanced biological potency compared to proteins or peptides derived from the naturally occurring RAP sequence and will complement our growing in-house set of targeting peptides."

Raptor also announced that the Patent Office of Japan will issue Raptor's patent application 2003-515208 entitled "Compositio
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