10 February 2012 - Biopharmaceutical company Catalyst Pharmaceutical Partners Inc (Nasdaq:CPRX) said on Thursday that it has filed a provisional patent application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for GABA aminotransferase inhibitors for Tourette Syndrome treatment.

Through a license agreement with the co-inventors’ respective institutions, the company has acquired the exclusive worldwide rights to GABA aminotransferase inhibitors for Tourette Syndrome.

According to the company, the intellectual property is a method of treating Tourette Syndrome using GABA aminotransferase inhibitor drugs, including CPP-109 and CPP-115, which significantly increase presynaptically stored GABA, and enhance GABA signalling in the striatal-thalamo-cortical tracts involved in habit formation and motor control.

In conjunction, the company has agreed to provide drug product and financial support for a proof-of- concept study at a prestigious academic institution in the US. This study will evaluate the use of CPP-109 in treating Tourette Syndrome.

Tourette Syndrome is a neurobiological disorder characterised by multiple motor and vocal tics that are associated with considerable disability and reduction in quality of life.