LUND, SWEDEN--(Marketwire - 10/05/09) - Lund, Sweden, October 5, 2009 - Active Biotech AB's (NASDAQ OMX Nordic: ACTI) collaboration partner MediGene AG (Frankfurt: MDG, Prime Standard, TecDAX) today announce information regarding the candidate drug RhuDex(TM) for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

MediGene AG has received feedback from the UK MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) regarding the in-vitro studies conducted with RhuDex. Since these tests did not suggest any negative effects of RhuDex, the MHRA agreed to a continuation of the drug candidate's clinical development.

To read the complete press release, please see www.medigene.com.

 
Lund, October 5, 2009
Active Biotech AB (publ)

Tomas Leanderson
President and CEO

For further information, please contact:
Göran Forsberg, VP Investor Relations & Business Development
Tel: +46 (0) 46 19 11 54
E-mail: goran.forsberg@activebiotech.com

Notes to editors

About RhuDex(TM)

RhuDex(TM) is a novel, orally available compound for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, originating from Active Biotech's patented CD80 antagonists, out-licensed to MediGene AG. RhuDex(TM) is being developed as a disease-modifying drug for the treatment of rheumatic diseases.

About Active Biotech

Active Biotech AB (NASDAQ OMX NORDIC: ACTI) is a biotechnology company with focus on autoimmune/inflammatory diseases and cancer. Projects in pivotal phase are laquinimod, an orally administered small molecule with unique immunomodulatory properties for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, as well as ANYARA for use in cancer targeted therapy, primarily of renal cancer. Further key projects in clinical development comprise the three orally administered compounds TASQ for prostate cancer, 57-57 for SLE and RhuDex(TM) for RA. Please visit www.activebiotech.com for more information.

 
Active Biotech AB
PO Box 724, SE-220 07 Lund
Sweden
Tel: +46 (0)46-19 20 00
Fax: +46 (0)46-19 11 00

Active Biotech is required under the Securities Markets Act to make the information in this press release public. The information was submitted for publication at 11:30 a.m. CET on October 5, 2009.

This announcement was originally distributed by Hugin. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

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