pbt presents at the 9th international PRANA BIOTECHNOLOGY...

pbt presents at the 9th international PRANA BIOTECHNOLOGY PRESENTS AT THE 9th INTERNATIONAL
CONFERENCE ON ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
Co-founding scientist to discuss new data on the interaction of cholesterol with betaamyloid
and brain metals
Philadelphia, PA - July 19, 2004 - Dr. Ashley Bush, chief scientific consultant and co-founder
of Prana Biotechnology Limited (NASDAQ: PRAN; ASX: PBT) is scheduled to present a
lecture tonight at the 9th International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease and Related
Disorders (ICAD), a specialist international symposium in Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania
Convention Center, Ballroom A/B. The event will commence at 5:30 PM.
Dr. Bush intends to present a lecture entitled “Clioquinol and the Metal-Protein Attenuating
Compounds (MPACs*) in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease” at a session devoted to the
development of therapeutic strategies. Based on the hypothesis that beta amyloid is a key
player in the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s disease, Prana maintains that it is the
inappropriate interaction of beta amyloid with brain metals copper and zinc that leads to the
progression associated with the disease. As part of his remarks, Dr. Bush intends to discuss
how clioquinol detects amyloid pathology in brain tissue and how the drug arrives at the
appropriate biochemical target in living transgenic mice and in post-mortem tissue from patients
with Alzheimer's disease.
Dr. Bush and his co-workers at the University of Melbourne and Massachusetts General
Hospital have developed this theory over 15 years of research. For much of this time, the
research community has been sceptical toward what was a major departure from the more
favoured theories. Invitations to present the MPAC approach at premier conferences such as
ICAD demonstrate the increasing support for Prana’s technology in the Alzheimer’s community.
Co-founding Scientist of Prana, Dr. Rudolph E. Tanzi, Professor of Neurology at Harvard
Medical School said, “This conference is regarded as an important event, not only for scientists
and medical practitioners in the industry, but also for the millions of patients worldwide who
have Alzheimer’s, This invitation to speak to international peers about the scientific basis for
Prana’s MPAC technology is an indication that our theories have achieved considerable
acceptance.”
Also at ICAD, on Wednesday July 21, Dr. Bush is scheduled to give an invited lecture that will
review the basic neuroscience describing the involvement of brain copper and zinc in Alzheimer
pathology. New data is expected to be presented on the interaction of cholesterol with betaamyloid
and brain metals, which may play a key role in the sequence of events that leads to
dementia. The possibility that beta-amyloid participates in the functional regulation of copper
levels in health will be discussed.
(*MPACs, or Metal-Protein Attenuating Compounds are compounds that bind metals to prevent
their interactions with proteins.)
International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease (ICAD)
The ICAD is the world’s leading forum on dementia research, and provides the opportunity for
more than 5,000 attending researchers to share knowledge and develop creative new
approaches to increasing the understanding of Alzheimer’s.
About Prana Biotechnology Limited
Prana Biotechnology was established to commercialise research into Alzheimer's disease and
other major age-related degenerative disorders. The company was incorporated in 1997 and
listed on the Australian Stock Exchange in March 2000. Researchers at prominent international
institutions including the University of Melbourne and Massachusetts General Hospital at
Harvard Medical School discovered Prana’s technology.
This press release contains “forward looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding the Company’s business strategy and future plans of operation.
Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties; both general and
specific to the matters discussed in this press release. These and other important factors, including those
mentioned in various Securities and Exchange Commission filings made by the Company, may cause the
Company’s actual results and performance to differ materially from the future results and performance
expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in
this press release speak only as of the date hereof and the Company expressly disclaims any obligation
to provide public updates, revisions or amendments to any forward-looking statements made herein to
reflect changes in the Company’s expectations or future events.
For further information, please visit our web site at www.pranabio.com.
Company Media Investor
Geoffrey Kempler
Prana Biotechnology Ltd.
Ivette Almeida
The Anne McBride Company
Rachel Levine
The Anne McBride Company
61-3-9349-4906 212-983-1702 ext. 209 212-983-1702 ext. 207