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| |  First Capsule For Adult Periodontitis, Periostat, Available in U.S. NEWTOWN, PA -- November 18, 1998 -- CollaGenex Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced today that Periostat®, a first-of-its-kind oral medication for the adjunctive treatment of adult periodontitis, is now available by prescription in the United States. Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on September 30, 1998, Periostat is to be used following scaling and root planing (SRP) to improve the effectiveness of this standard periodontal procedure. The new medication was recently unveiled to the nearly 20,000 dental professionals attending the American Dental Association’s (ADA) annual meeting in late October. Periostat has achieved widespread distribution in the largest drug wholesalers and many of the leading retail pharmacy chains. Periostat is the first medication specifically indicated for the treatment of periodontitis to be made available to patients through their pharmacies. A capsule taken twice a day over a period of months, Periostat is prescribed by the periodontist or dentist following SRP. Clinical studies have shown that Periostat administered after SRP improved clinical attachment level by up to 52 percent and reduced pocket depth by as much as 67 percent compared to SRP plus placebo. These benefits were observed as early as three months into the study and were maintained over the nine-month period of the trial. Periostat is the only treatment for adult periodontitis that has been shown to suppress the tissue-destroying activity of collagenase, an enzyme overproduced by the body in response to bacterial infection in the periodontal pocket. Collagenase breaks down the supporting structures (gums, ligaments, bone) that hold the teeth in place. Recent research has demonstrated that periodontitis, the leading cause of adult tooth loss, is most effectively combated with a treatment approach that addresses the two key components of the disease - bacterial infection and the enzymes that destroy connective tissues. In particular, CollaGenex has developed inhibitors of certain chronic degenerative processes that lead to the destruction of connective tissue during inflammation. These inhibitors have shown the potential to treat a variety of diseases including periodontal disease and inflammatory diseases of the musculoskeletal, respiratory and gastrointestinal systems. CollaGenex and its collaborators also are researching and developing other potential applications of its technology, particularly cancer metastasis and diabetic complications.
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