Alzheimer drug pioneer to get Israel Prize | The Times of Israel
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`THE TIMES OF ISRAEL | www.timesofisrael.com
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`Alzheimer drug pioneer to get
`Israel Prize
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`Prof. Marta Weinstock—Rosin, who developed Exelon, will be recognized
`for her work on Israel Independence Day
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`BY DAVID SHAMAH I March 4, 2014, 4:55 pml
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`R ivastigmine—commercially known as Exelon— isoneofthe most importantdrugsto
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`have emerged from Israeli medical research labs in recent years. It's so significant, in
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`fact, that its chief developer, Prof. Marta Weinstock-Rosin, is to be awarded the Israel
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`Prize for Medicine this year for her work.
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`The most prestigious award in Israel, the Prize is presented in an official state ceremony
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`on Israel's Independence Day, presided over by the president, prime minister, Knesset speaker
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`and Supreme Court president.
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`Weinstock—Rosin, who is Orthodox, was born in Vienna and fled with her family to Britain in
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`1939, escaping the Nazis. She came to Israel with her family in 1969, and became a Professor
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`at Hebrew University in 1981. Since 1983, she has been head of the Hebrew University’s
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`School of Pharmacy-Institute for Drug Research in the Faculty of Medicine.
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`Weinstock—Rosin was the lead developer for what would eventually become the Novartis Exelon
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`Patch, the first and only FDA-approved skin patch for treatment of Alzheimer's disease, which
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`many researchers believe is caused by the breakdown of a brain neural transmitter called
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`acetylcholine.
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`Rivastigmine, the generic name for Exelon, prevents the breakdown of acetylcholine by an
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`enzyme called acetylcholinesterase. The more acetylcholinesterase, the better nerve cells can
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`communicate with each other, Weinstock-Rosin’s research showed — so by preventing the
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`breakdown of acetylcholine, the progress of Alzheimer's can be stopped, or even halted.
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`As there currently is no cure for Alzheimer’s, Exelon is considered one of the more effective
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`treatments for the disease. Used by patients once a day in patch form, Novartis sold more than
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`$1 billion of Exelon in 2012.
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`http://www.timesofisrael.com/alzheimer—drug-pioneer—to—get-israel-prize/
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`3/24/20] 5
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`Noven Exhibit 1045
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`Alzheimer drug pioneer to get Israel Prize | The Times of Israel
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`Page 2 of 2
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`Novatis acquired Exelon from the Hebrew University’s technology transfer company, Yissum,
`which since 1964 has established numerous companies based on research done by Hebrew U
`scientists. One of which is road safety innovator Mobileye — which recently raised $400 million
`for its collision protection technology that alerts drivers when they are getting too close to the
`car in front of them.
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`Altogether, products based on Hebrew University technologies that have been commercialized
`by Yissum generate $2 billion in annual sales. Yissum has registered over 8,100 patents
`covering 2,300 inventions, and licensed out 700 technologies. Yissum-sourced start-ups have
`partnered with or been acquired by companies such as Syngenta, Monsanto, Roche, Novartis,
`Microsoft, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Intel, Teva and many others.
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`Weinstock-Rosin’s current research involves a drug called Ladostigil, a drug to fight mild
`cognitive impairment (MCI) and early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Weinstock-Rosin and co-
`developer Prof. Moussa Youdim of the Technion showed that Ladostigil prevents brain
`degeneration and memory impairment in aged rats. The drug is now undergoing Phase II
`clinical trials in Israel and Europe for the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.
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`Weinstock-Rosin and Youdim are working with Israel’s Avraham Pharmaceuticals on developing
`Ladostigil. Yaacov Michlin, who heads Yissum, said that “currently there is no treatment for MCI,
`and we are very hopeful, based on our promising previous clinical and pre-clinical data, that
`Ladostigil will become the first drug to alleviate MCI symptoms and prevent progression to
`Alzheimer’s disease, to the benefit of millions of people around the globe.”
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`© 2014 THE TIMES OF ISRAEL, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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`http://www.timesofisrael.com/alzheimer-drug-pioneer-to-get-israel-prize/
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`3/24/2015
`
`Noven Exhibit 1045
`Noven v. Novartis and LTS Lohmann
`IPR2014-00550
`2 of 2
`
`