Orient Europharma Co. Ltd announced a partnership agreement with US biopharmaceutical company AndroScience Corporation (ASC) to develop and market ASC-J9 acne cream. Under the terms of the agreement, OE holds the exclusive right to market the drug in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and various countries in Southeast Asia. ASC-J9 is a new patented drug developed by ASC for the treatment of acne.

Acne vulgaris, or acne, is the most common condition seen in dermatology clinics. It is a skin problem that usually occurs during adolescence, although it can affect people from 12 years old to those well in their forties. According to statistics, as much as 85 percent of people have suffered from acne at one point in their lives. Business information provider Visiongain estimates the market for acne treatment products to be US$2.6 billion, with the Asian market taking up US$280 million, or 11 percent.

Acne is a skin disease originating from follicular inflammation. Acne develops as a result of blockages in follicles and can occur on the face and upper body areas including the neck, chest, back, shoulders and upper arms. Factors linked to acne include hyperactive sebaceous glands, cleansing habits, hormonal activity, diet, stress, irregular sleeping habits, lack of sleep, genetic history, and work environment. No one defining factor can be pinpointed to explain its formation.

Androgens, or male sex hormones, are typically the main cause for acne outbreak. Androgen receptors are present in human sebaceous glands. The activation of androgen receptors causes the follicular glands to grow larger and secrete more sebum, which can lead to acne. Among women, irregular lifestyle or menstrual cycle may trigger the production of progesterone which can increase the incidence of acne as well. Generally, women who have relatively higher levels of androgens are also more prone to acne. ASCJ9 is a small molecule with a novel mechanism of action that can selectively enhance androgen receptor degradation (ARD) to effectively reduce androgen activities.

Dr Chawn-Shang Chang of University of Rochester was invited by Taiwan's National Science Council and US science journal, "Science", to announce his research team's newest findings on androgen receptors and HVB-enhanced liver cancer. Dr. Chang pointed out yesterday in a press conference that androgen receptor (AR) is the key target in treating liver cancer. Androgen receptor degradation enhancer such as ASC-J9, has been proven to treat androgen receptors related diseases such as HVB-enhanced liver cancer, Bulbar Muscular Atrophy (or Kennedy's disease), prostate cancer and bladder
cancer.

ARD enhancer (ASC-J9) acts on the key cause of acne, the androgen activation system, through reducing levels of androgen receptors in the sebaceous gland to minimize sebum secretions in order to effectively treat acnes. The 0.025% cream formulation dose of ASC-J9 delivers the same efficacy as other marketed acne drugs, however, ASC-J9 exhibits lower systemic absorption and side effects, and can be used to treat both male and female patients. This is an unprecedented approach different from all other current acne treatments on the market.

AndroScience recently announced results of the phase-2a dose-ranging study of ASC-J9. Following the signing of the partnership agreement, OE will participate in the US and Taiwan phase-2b clinical studies. The introduction of this drug will provide more treatment options for acne patients in the future.

Founded in 2000, AndroScience Corporation (ASC) is a privately held San Diego, CA based biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the research, development, and commercialization of a proprietary series of small molecules which target the androgen receptor (AR).