BioSante Pharmaceuticals Announces Initiation of LibiGel® Study to Evaluate its Effect on Cognitive Function in Women

LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BioSante Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: BPAX) today announced the initiation of a LibiGel^® (testosterone gel) clinical trial to evaluate its effect on cognitive function in menopausal women. The trial is a randomized, 6-month comparison of the effect of LibiGel compared to placebo treatment on a variety of learning and memory tasks. The study is being conducted by Dr. Susan Davis, Professor of Women's Health, Department of Medicine, Monash University Women’s Health Program in Australia.

“If this study demonstrates that testosterone improves cognitive performance, learning and memory, in healthy older women with normal cognition for their age, as compared to placebo, testosterone may be a potential strategy for the prevention of cognitive decline”

As previously reported, studies conducted by Dr. Davis have shown that testosterone significantly improved cognitive function, specifically visual and verbal learning and memory in menopausal women in a six month study. In addition, there was a reduction in parietal lobe blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signal intensity during mental rotation, potentially indicating less neuronal recruitment being required to complete tasks.

“If this study demonstrates that testosterone improves cognitive performance, learning and memory, in healthy older women with normal cognition for their age, as compared to placebo, testosterone may be a potential strategy for the prevention of cognitive decline,” said Dr. Davis. Further information about this study can be found at http://womenshealth.med.monash.edu.au.

“It is exciting that a new clinical trial has been initiated to evaluate whether testosterone improves memory and learning,” said Dr. Michael C. Snabes, BioSante’s vice president of clinical development. “Positive results from this new study could provide scientific evidence for an additional advantage of testosterone for menopausal women.”

About LibiGel

LibiGel^® (testosterone gel) is in Phase III clinical development for the treatment of women who suffer from female sexual dysfunction (FSD). The on-going Phase III efficacy trials are double-blind, placebo-controlled trials that will enroll up to approximately 500 surgically menopausal women each for a six-month clinical trial. The efficacy trials are being conducted under an FDA-approved special protocol assessment (SPA) agreement. LibiGel is absorbed quickly through the skin after a once-daily pea-sized application on the upper arm, delivering testosterone to the bloodstream evenly over time and in a non-invasive and painless manner.

In a Phase II trial, LibiGel significantly increased the number of satisfying sexual events in surgically menopausal women suffering from FSD by 238 percent versus baseline (p<0.0001); this increase also was significant versus placebo (p<0.05). In this study, the effective dose of LibiGel produced testosterone blood levels within the normal range for pre-menopausal women and had a safety profile similar to that observed in the placebo group. In addition, no serious adverse events and no discontinuations due to adverse events occurred in any subject receiving LibiGel. The Phase II clinical trial was a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, conducted in the United States, in surgically menopausal women distressed by their low sexual desire and activity.

About BioSante Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

BioSante is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing products for female sexual health and oncology. BioSante’s lead products include LibiGel^® (transdermal testosterone gel) for the treatment of female sexual dysfunction (FSD) which is in Phase III clinical development under a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Special Protocol Assessment, and Elestrin™ (estradiol gel) for the treatment of moderate-to-severe vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause, which is marketed in the U.S. by Azur Pharma, BioSante’s licensee. BioSante also is developing a portfolio of cancer vaccines (GVAX), three of which have been granted orphan drug designation, and are currently in several Phase II clinical trials. Other products in development are Bio-T-Gel™, a testosterone gel for male hypogonadism, licensed to Teva Pharmaceuticals and an oral contraceptive in Phase II clinical development using BioSante patented technology. The company also is developing its calcium phosphate technology (CaP) for aesthetic medicine (BioLook™), as a vaccine adjuvant, including for an H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine, and drug delivery as well as seeking opportunities for its 2A/Furin and other technologies. Additional information is available online at: www.biosantepharma.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

To the extent any statements made in this news release deal with information that is not historical, these are forward-looking statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements about BioSante’s plans, objectives, expectations and intentions with respect to future operations and products and other statements identified by words such as “will,” “potential,” “could,” “can,” “believe,” “intends,” “continue,” “plans,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “may,” other words of similar meaning or the use of future dates. Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. Uncertainties and risks may cause BioSante’s actual results to be materially different than those expressed in or implied by BioSante’s forward-looking statements. For BioSante, particular uncertainties and risks include, among others, the difficulty of developing pharmaceutical products, obtaining regulatory and other approvals and achieving market acceptance; the marketing success of BioSante’s licensees or sublicensees; the success of clinical testing; and BioSante’s need for and ability to obtain additional financing. More detailed information on these and additional factors that could affect BioSante’s actual results are described in BioSante’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent annual report on Form 10-K and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. All forward-looking statements in this news release speak only as of the date of this news release. BioSante undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.