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Comfyde

Generic name: carisbamate
Treatment for: Seizures

NDA Submitted for Carisbamate

Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, L.L.C. Submits New Drug Application to FDA for Carisbamate

RARITAN, N.J., October 24, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, L.L.C. (J&JPRD) announced today that it has submitted a New Drug Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for carisbamate, a new investigational compound for the adjunctive treatment of partial onset seizures in patients 16 years of age and older.

The filing is supported by data from three placebo-controlled clinical trials in patients with epilepsy. Results from the first study were presented at the Ninth EILAT Conference on Antiepileptic Drugs in June and results from two additional studies will be presented at the annual meeting of the American Epilepsy Society later this year.

In 1999, J&JPRD and SK Holdings Co., Ltd. (SK) entered into a license agreement to develop and commercialize carisbamate. J&JPRD received global marketing rights for the compound. If approved by the FDA, carisbamate will be marketed by Ortho-McNeil Neurologics, a division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Carisbamate has received provisional approval by the FDA to be marketed under the brand name of Comfyde.

About Partial Onset Seizures and Epilepsy

Epilepsy is one of the most common disorders of the nervous system, defined by recurrent unprovoked seizures. It is categorized as "primary generalized" or "partial onset" depending on the specific location of the abnormal electrical activity in the brain that typically characterizes the disorder. Partial-onset seizures are the most common type, and are generally more difficult to treat. Virtually any movement, sensory, or emotional symptom can occur as part of a partial seizure, including complex visual or auditory hallucinations. There are two categories of partial onset seizures: simple partial seizures (in which consciousness is retained), and complex partial seizures (in which consciousness is impaired or lost). Partial seizures can generalize and lead to tonic clonic seizures, during which the patient loses consciousness and is at risk for falling or injury.

About J&JPRD

Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, L.L.C. (J&JPRD) is a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, the world's most broadly-based producer of health care products. J&JPRD is headquartered in Raritan, N.J., and has facilities throughout Europe, the United States and Asia. J&JPRD is leveraging drug discovery and drug development in a variety of therapeutic areas, including CNS, Internal Medicine and Oncology, to address unmet medical needs worldwide.

About Ortho-McNeil Neurologics

Headquartered in Titusville, NJ, Ortho-McNeil Neurologics, Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, focuses exclusively on providing solutions that improve neurological health. The company currently markets products for Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy and acute and preventive migraine treatment. In conjunction with internal and external research partners, Ortho-McNeil Neurologics continues to explore new opportunities to develop solutions for unmet health care needs in neurology.

Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the J&JPRD's expectations and projections. Risks and uncertainties include general industry conditions and competition; economic conditions, such as interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; technological advances and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approvals; domestic and foreign health care reforms and governmental laws and regulations; and trends toward health care cost containment.

Posted: October 2008

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