Karo Bio receives award for prostate cancer research

Karo Bio receives award for prostate cancer research

Karo Bio USA, Inc. has received a three year award from the Department
of the Army* for drug discovery in prostate cancer. The project applies
the Company’s novel technological approaches to better define the
relationship of androgen receptor (AR) function to prostate cancer in
order to discover more effective drugs.

Prostate cancer is the most common male malignancy in the United States
and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in males. A
variety of treatments to inactivate AR have been found to successfully
delay or reverse early stages of prostate cancer, but only for the short
term, and in some cases with unwanted side effects. Therefore, a great
clinical need exists for new drugs that delay cancer development in the
long term, and without unwanted side effects. Karo Bio’s technologies
can discriminate between and make use of structural changes in the
androgen receptor when complexed with hormones or other agents to
develop such drugs.

Karo Bio can identify a library of molecular probes that specifically
interact with AR under a series of biologically relevant states. These
probes, otherwise known as BioKey probes, are used in proprietary
screening approaches (utilizing Molecular Braille and Cellular Brailletm
technology profiling) that will allow for the rapid and convenient
identification of novel chemical compounds for treatment of prostate
cancer. These compounds will have tissue selectivity (i.e., targeting
prostate tissue without adversely affecting other tissues that express
AR.)

“The results of this study may make a significant impact on the
principles that direct the androgen receptor/prostate cancer research
field. This study will clarify mechanisms of androgen and anti-androgen
action by discerning differences and similarities in the receptor
conformation that drive biological activity” said Dr. Dana M. Fowlkes,
Karo Bio’s Chief Scientific Officer. Current methods to identify and
characterize effective prostate cancer therapeutics (e.g. ligand binding
and cell-based reporter assays) will be impacted by the improved speed
and sensitivity of this novel approach. The advantages will be important
to Karo Bio’s drug discovery program as well as to regulatory agencies
involved in the fields of prostate cancer therapy and prevention.

*The U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, 820 Chandler
Street, Fort Detrick MD 21702-5014 is the awarding and administering
acquisition office (Award Number DAMD17-02-1-0079). The content of this
information does not necessarily reflect the position or the policy of
the Government, and no official endorsement should be inferred.

Huddinge, March 12, 2002

KARO BIO AB (publ)

For further information contact:

Björn Nilsson, President
Telephone: +46-8-608 6020
Mobile telephone: +46-70-218 1500

Per Otteskog, Senior Vice President
Mobile telephone: +46-70-632 7527

Background
Karo Bio has operations in Sweden and the United States. The Company
employs 135 people.

Karo Bio has been listed on the Stockholm stock exchange (Reuters:
KARO.ST) since 1998 and maintains a leading position in the field of
drug discovery focused on nuclear receptors. Nuclear receptors are
validated drug targets for a number of clinical indications and the
Company uses proprietary technologies for the development of novel and
improved therapies for major markets. Karo Bio has 400 patent cases
including 128 granted patents.

Karo Bio has drug discovery programs in several therapeutic areas
including men and women’s health care, metabolic disorders such as
obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, dermatology and
ophthalmology.

Karo Bio collaborates with major pharmaceutical companies for
development of products and marketing. In these partnerships Karo Bio
receives upfront payments, R&D funding, milestone payments as well as
royalties on net sales when products reach the market.

Karo Bio has strategic pharmaceutical drug discovery partnerships with
Abbott Laboratories, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Bristol-Myers Squibb and
Merck & Co.

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