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ERX on the move.. listen to the interview could be another HML (ERX)
potatohead - 30 Aug 2006 11:57
Suggest you listen to the link
http://www.wallstreetreporter.com/interview.php?id=18589&player=wma
Eirx Therapeutics (LSE:ERX) Focus Of The Month
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Overview
Eirx Therapeutics is a Cork-based drug discovery company, focusing on the identification and commercialisation of genomic targets associated with the biological process of programmed cell death (apoptosis). The company has chosen to concentrate on three key therapeutic areas, cancer, chronic inflammatory diseases and neurodegenerative disorders, all of which offer billion dollar market opportunities.
The company was founded in 1999 as a spin-out from Cork University and to date has raised circa 9 million to expand its research and development programs, such that it now employs 12 individuals and has a strong patent portfolio. The most recent funding was a 1.25 million placing, executed in conjunction with an introduction to AIM (Alternative Investment Market) in January 2004. This is the second Irish biotech company to list on AIM, the first being Dublin-based Alltracel, increasing Irelands profile as a centre of biotechnology excellence.
Eirx Therapeutics has currently signed three collaborative agreements and is in negotiations with several other biopharmaceutical companies. In addition, the company has already intimated that it intends to expand the company through a series of strategic acquisitions.
Apoptosis
The term apoptosis was first used in a paper by Kerr, Wyllie, and Currie (Brit J. Cancer 26:239) in 1972 to distinguish a morphologically distinctive form of cell death associated with normal physiology from necrosis, which was associated with acute injury to cells. Apoptosis is characterized by nuclear chromatin condensation, cytoplasmic shrinking, dilated endoplasmic reticulum, and membrane blebbing. Apoptotic death can be triggered by various stimuli, however, not all cells will necessarily die in response to the same stimulus.
Apoptosis is as essential to an organism as cell division. In human development, the selective destruction of cells through apoptosis is responsible for the formation of fingers and toes in a forming foetus and the establishment of neural pathways within the brain. Apoptosis is also necessary for killing cells that would otherwise cause damage to the organism, for example cells infected with viruses.
If the process of apoptosis is in some way defective and these cells are left unchecked, a variety of disorders may ensue. The inability to destroy certain immune cells may lead to autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and insulin dependent diabetes. Cells with DNA damage may become cancerous, or in the case of reproductive cells cause birth defects. Conversely, neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases and stroke are associated with neuronal cell death caused by apoptosis.
Thus, the genes/proteins involved in the various apoptosis pathways are of increasing interest to the pharmaceutical industry as therapeutic targets, either through the use of inducers to initiate apoptosis or inhibitors to prevent apoptosis.
Technology
The structure and function of cells and ultimately of an organism, is dependent on a set of proteins. The protein complement encoded by the entire genome of an organism is referred to as the proteome. Proteins can be classified into various groups including, enzyme which catalyse reactions, antibodies, which are involved in the immune system, and signaling proteins which form complex pathways that mediate intracellular events such as apoptosis. Any mutations, either hereditary or spontaneous, in the genome can lead to the production of defective proteins and/or the incorrect regulation of gene expression, resulting in too much or too little of a protein being produced. Failure to produce the correct level of protein, at the right time and in the right place can have disastrous consequences and have been shown to be the underlying cause of numerous diseases.
Genomic studies have identified a plethora of genes directly and indirectly associated with both cell survival and apoptosis. However, many of these genes are incorrectly implicated in these processes, i.e."guilty by association". In order to eliminate genes associated but not causal to apoptosis, Eirx Therapeutics has developed a proprietary drug target discovery platform - ALIBI, which consists of a series of overlapping assays. By analysing temporal expression (i.e. when a gene is active compared with other apoptosis genes) and looking at the pathways associated with the gene products, Eirx Therapeutics is able to optimise the selection of target candidates. ALIBI is already being used as part of Eirx Therapeutics' research program, but is now being offered to third parties on a fee-for-service basis.
Research Pipeline
It is estimated that 70% of human diseases can be associated with defects in the apoptosis pathways. However, Eirx Therapeutics has chosen to initially focus on cancer, chronic inflammatory diseases and neurodegenerative disorders, as all of these markets offer significant commercial opportunities. Eirx Therapeutics looks to identify both the genes involved in the apoptosis pathway and the genes associated with their expression. The characterisation of these genes may ultimately lead to the diagnosis and treatment/prevention of certain diseases. Of the 15 patent applications filed, 7 are for specific genes associated with cancer or inflammation:
Market Opportunity
As detailed, Eirx Therapeutics main foci are cancer, inflammatory diseases and neurogenerative disorders.
Cancer: The many forms of this disease share a common element, in as much that malignant cells fail to undergo apoptosis, resulting in uncontrolled cell proliferation. The global market for branded cancer drugs was estimated to exceed $14 billion in 2000. This figure is expected to more than double by the end of this decade.
Inflammation: Caspase-1 plays a key role in the generation of two important pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1b and IL-18). These cytokines have been shown to be associated with a number of chronic diseases, such as asthma, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In 2000 the global sales of asthma drugs was estimated to be between $7-10 billion, RA - $1.6 billion, IBD - $1 billion, with the treatment of COPD estimated to cost nearly $3 billion per annum.
Neurodegeneration: Conditions associated with premature cell death within the brain include Alzheimers and Parkinsons diseases. Global sales in 2000 for Alzheimers medication were estimated at just over $500 million. As the average age of mortality increases, due to better medication and standards of living, there is likely to be a dramatic increase in this market.
Although by targeting such large therapeutic markets, Eirx Therapeutics is maximising it commercial opportunities, it is still an early-stage company, which will out-license drug development pre-Phase I. Therefore, it would be meaningless to attempt to derive any valuation from the sales figures given above. When making its investment in Eirx Therapeutics, Billam Ag has taken a more realistic approach by evaluating the short to medium term potential of the research pipeline.
Business Model
The main source of revenue for Eirx Therapeutics will be milestone payments associated with out-licensed/partnered compounds. However, to reduce cash burn, Eirx Therapeutics will carry out contract research for third parties.
Commercial Partners
Eirx Therapeutic is currently working with three bio-pharmaceutical companies:
Regen Therapeutics (LSE:RGT) Service contract
SR Pharma (LSE:SPA) Research agreement-click for link to news story
OSI Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:OSIP) Currently evaluating several novel oncology targets with the option to license for drug discovery.
To date, the OSI Pharmaceutical deal represents the most exciting opportunity for Eirx Therapeutics, generating upfront access fees, consultancy fees and milestone payments totally up to $4.7 million per target based on successful commercialisation of a novel therapeutic. However, the company is in discussions with several other potential collaborators.
Pharmaceutical companies are increasingly interested in therapeutic agents that directly and selectively target the apoptosis process in humans cells. The table below gives examples of potential drugs undergoing clinical trials at present. The companies detailed can be viewed as competitors. However, given that Eirx Therapeutics are a target discovery company looking to out-license clinical development and the strength of their intellectual property portfolio, we are more inclined to view these companies as potential partners. Therefore, the level of interest in this field is encouraging.
Financial Statements
A summary of the key financial statements for the last 3 years are shown in the tables below:
Major Shareholders
Eirx Pharma is a life science investment company, which adopts a synergistic strategy in order to optimise its portfolio and drive shareholder value. Eirx Therapeutics is represent on the board of Eirx Pharma by and John Pool (Chairman of Eirx Therapeutics) and Peter Hoskins (CEO Eirx Pharma and advisor to Eirx Therapeutics). Shareholders of Eirx Pharma include institutions such as 3i Group, Enterprise Ireland and the University of Cork, as well as several investment companies and private individuals (see pie chart below):
http://www.billamag.net/focus-document-text.asp?FocusTextID=1
http://www.billamag.net/focus-document-text.asp?FocusTextID=1
http://www.wallstreetreporter.com/interview.php?id=18589&player=wma
Eirx Therapeutics (LSE:ERX) Focus Of The Month
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Overview
Eirx Therapeutics is a Cork-based drug discovery company, focusing on the identification and commercialisation of genomic targets associated with the biological process of programmed cell death (apoptosis). The company has chosen to concentrate on three key therapeutic areas, cancer, chronic inflammatory diseases and neurodegenerative disorders, all of which offer billion dollar market opportunities.
The company was founded in 1999 as a spin-out from Cork University and to date has raised circa 9 million to expand its research and development programs, such that it now employs 12 individuals and has a strong patent portfolio. The most recent funding was a 1.25 million placing, executed in conjunction with an introduction to AIM (Alternative Investment Market) in January 2004. This is the second Irish biotech company to list on AIM, the first being Dublin-based Alltracel, increasing Irelands profile as a centre of biotechnology excellence.
Eirx Therapeutics has currently signed three collaborative agreements and is in negotiations with several other biopharmaceutical companies. In addition, the company has already intimated that it intends to expand the company through a series of strategic acquisitions.
Apoptosis
The term apoptosis was first used in a paper by Kerr, Wyllie, and Currie (Brit J. Cancer 26:239) in 1972 to distinguish a morphologically distinctive form of cell death associated with normal physiology from necrosis, which was associated with acute injury to cells. Apoptosis is characterized by nuclear chromatin condensation, cytoplasmic shrinking, dilated endoplasmic reticulum, and membrane blebbing. Apoptotic death can be triggered by various stimuli, however, not all cells will necessarily die in response to the same stimulus.
Apoptosis is as essential to an organism as cell division. In human development, the selective destruction of cells through apoptosis is responsible for the formation of fingers and toes in a forming foetus and the establishment of neural pathways within the brain. Apoptosis is also necessary for killing cells that would otherwise cause damage to the organism, for example cells infected with viruses.
If the process of apoptosis is in some way defective and these cells are left unchecked, a variety of disorders may ensue. The inability to destroy certain immune cells may lead to autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and insulin dependent diabetes. Cells with DNA damage may become cancerous, or in the case of reproductive cells cause birth defects. Conversely, neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases and stroke are associated with neuronal cell death caused by apoptosis.
Thus, the genes/proteins involved in the various apoptosis pathways are of increasing interest to the pharmaceutical industry as therapeutic targets, either through the use of inducers to initiate apoptosis or inhibitors to prevent apoptosis.
Technology
The structure and function of cells and ultimately of an organism, is dependent on a set of proteins. The protein complement encoded by the entire genome of an organism is referred to as the proteome. Proteins can be classified into various groups including, enzyme which catalyse reactions, antibodies, which are involved in the immune system, and signaling proteins which form complex pathways that mediate intracellular events such as apoptosis. Any mutations, either hereditary or spontaneous, in the genome can lead to the production of defective proteins and/or the incorrect regulation of gene expression, resulting in too much or too little of a protein being produced. Failure to produce the correct level of protein, at the right time and in the right place can have disastrous consequences and have been shown to be the underlying cause of numerous diseases.
Genomic studies have identified a plethora of genes directly and indirectly associated with both cell survival and apoptosis. However, many of these genes are incorrectly implicated in these processes, i.e."guilty by association". In order to eliminate genes associated but not causal to apoptosis, Eirx Therapeutics has developed a proprietary drug target discovery platform - ALIBI, which consists of a series of overlapping assays. By analysing temporal expression (i.e. when a gene is active compared with other apoptosis genes) and looking at the pathways associated with the gene products, Eirx Therapeutics is able to optimise the selection of target candidates. ALIBI is already being used as part of Eirx Therapeutics' research program, but is now being offered to third parties on a fee-for-service basis.
Research Pipeline
It is estimated that 70% of human diseases can be associated with defects in the apoptosis pathways. However, Eirx Therapeutics has chosen to initially focus on cancer, chronic inflammatory diseases and neurodegenerative disorders, as all of these markets offer significant commercial opportunities. Eirx Therapeutics looks to identify both the genes involved in the apoptosis pathway and the genes associated with their expression. The characterisation of these genes may ultimately lead to the diagnosis and treatment/prevention of certain diseases. Of the 15 patent applications filed, 7 are for specific genes associated with cancer or inflammation:
Market Opportunity
As detailed, Eirx Therapeutics main foci are cancer, inflammatory diseases and neurogenerative disorders.
Cancer: The many forms of this disease share a common element, in as much that malignant cells fail to undergo apoptosis, resulting in uncontrolled cell proliferation. The global market for branded cancer drugs was estimated to exceed $14 billion in 2000. This figure is expected to more than double by the end of this decade.
Inflammation: Caspase-1 plays a key role in the generation of two important pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1b and IL-18). These cytokines have been shown to be associated with a number of chronic diseases, such as asthma, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In 2000 the global sales of asthma drugs was estimated to be between $7-10 billion, RA - $1.6 billion, IBD - $1 billion, with the treatment of COPD estimated to cost nearly $3 billion per annum.
Neurodegeneration: Conditions associated with premature cell death within the brain include Alzheimers and Parkinsons diseases. Global sales in 2000 for Alzheimers medication were estimated at just over $500 million. As the average age of mortality increases, due to better medication and standards of living, there is likely to be a dramatic increase in this market.
Although by targeting such large therapeutic markets, Eirx Therapeutics is maximising it commercial opportunities, it is still an early-stage company, which will out-license drug development pre-Phase I. Therefore, it would be meaningless to attempt to derive any valuation from the sales figures given above. When making its investment in Eirx Therapeutics, Billam Ag has taken a more realistic approach by evaluating the short to medium term potential of the research pipeline.
Business Model
The main source of revenue for Eirx Therapeutics will be milestone payments associated with out-licensed/partnered compounds. However, to reduce cash burn, Eirx Therapeutics will carry out contract research for third parties.
Commercial Partners
Eirx Therapeutic is currently working with three bio-pharmaceutical companies:
Regen Therapeutics (LSE:RGT) Service contract
SR Pharma (LSE:SPA) Research agreement-click for link to news story
OSI Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:OSIP) Currently evaluating several novel oncology targets with the option to license for drug discovery.
To date, the OSI Pharmaceutical deal represents the most exciting opportunity for Eirx Therapeutics, generating upfront access fees, consultancy fees and milestone payments totally up to $4.7 million per target based on successful commercialisation of a novel therapeutic. However, the company is in discussions with several other potential collaborators.
Pharmaceutical companies are increasingly interested in therapeutic agents that directly and selectively target the apoptosis process in humans cells. The table below gives examples of potential drugs undergoing clinical trials at present. The companies detailed can be viewed as competitors. However, given that Eirx Therapeutics are a target discovery company looking to out-license clinical development and the strength of their intellectual property portfolio, we are more inclined to view these companies as potential partners. Therefore, the level of interest in this field is encouraging.
Financial Statements
A summary of the key financial statements for the last 3 years are shown in the tables below:
Major Shareholders
Eirx Pharma is a life science investment company, which adopts a synergistic strategy in order to optimise its portfolio and drive shareholder value. Eirx Therapeutics is represent on the board of Eirx Pharma by and John Pool (Chairman of Eirx Therapeutics) and Peter Hoskins (CEO Eirx Pharma and advisor to Eirx Therapeutics). Shareholders of Eirx Pharma include institutions such as 3i Group, Enterprise Ireland and the University of Cork, as well as several investment companies and private individuals (see pie chart below):
http://www.billamag.net/focus-document-text.asp?FocusTextID=1
http://www.billamag.net/focus-document-text.asp?FocusTextID=1
potatohead - 31 Aug 2006 12:09 - 11 of 28
Suggest you listen to the link
http://www.wallstreetreporter.com/interview.php?id=18589&player=wma
Eirx Therapeutics (LSE:ERX) Focus Of The Month
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Overview
Eirx Therapeutics is a Cork-based drug discovery company, focusing on the identification and commercialisation of genomic targets associated with the biological process of programmed cell death (apoptosis). The company has chosen to concentrate on three key therapeutic areas, cancer, chronic inflammatory diseases and neurodegenerative disorders, all of which offer billion dollar market opportunities.
The company was founded in 1999 as a spin-out from Cork University and to date has raised circa 9 million to expand its research and development programs, such that it now employs 12 individuals and has a strong patent portfolio. The most recent funding was a 1.25 million placing, executed in conjunction with an introduction to AIM (Alternative Investment Market) in January 2004. This is the second Irish biotech company to list on AIM, the first being Dublin-based Alltracel, increasing Irelands profile as a centre of biotechnology excellence.
Eirx Therapeutics has currently signed three collaborative agreements and is in negotiations with several other biopharmaceutical companies. In addition, the company has already intimated that it intends to expand the company through a series of strategic acquisitions.
Apoptosis
The term apoptosis was first used in a paper by Kerr, Wyllie, and Currie (Brit J. Cancer 26:239) in 1972 to distinguish a morphologically distinctive form of cell death associated with normal physiology from necrosis, which was associated with acute injury to cells. Apoptosis is characterized by nuclear chromatin condensation, cytoplasmic shrinking, dilated endoplasmic reticulum, and membrane blebbing. Apoptotic death can be triggered by various stimuli, however, not all cells will necessarily die in response to the same stimulus.
Apoptosis is as essential to an organism as cell division. In human development, the selective destruction of cells through apoptosis is responsible for the formation of fingers and toes in a forming foetus and the establishment of neural pathways within the brain. Apoptosis is also necessary for killing cells that would otherwise cause damage to the organism, for example cells infected with viruses.
If the process of apoptosis is in some way defective and these cells are left unchecked, a variety of disorders may ensue. The inability to destroy certain immune cells may lead to autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and insulin dependent diabetes. Cells with DNA damage may become cancerous, or in the case of reproductive cells cause birth defects. Conversely, neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases and stroke are associated with neuronal cell death caused by apoptosis.
Thus, the genes/proteins involved in the various apoptosis pathways are of increasing interest to the pharmaceutical industry as therapeutic targets, either through the use of inducers to initiate apoptosis or inhibitors to prevent apoptosis.
Technology
The structure and function of cells and ultimately of an organism, is dependent on a set of proteins. The protein complement encoded by the entire genome of an organism is referred to as the proteome. Proteins can be classified into various groups including, enzyme which catalyse reactions, antibodies, which are involved in the immune system, and signaling proteins which form complex pathways that mediate intracellular events such as apoptosis. Any mutations, either hereditary or spontaneous, in the genome can lead to the production of defective proteins and/or the incorrect regulation of gene expression, resulting in too much or too little of a protein being produced. Failure to produce the correct level of protein, at the right time and in the right place can have disastrous consequences and have been shown to be the underlying cause of numerous diseases.
Genomic studies have identified a plethora of genes directly and indirectly associated with both cell survival and apoptosis. However, many of these genes are incorrectly implicated in these processes, i.e."guilty by association". In order to eliminate genes associated but not causal to apoptosis, Eirx Therapeutics has developed a proprietary drug target discovery platform - ALIBI, which consists of a series of overlapping assays. By analysing temporal expression (i.e. when a gene is active compared with other apoptosis genes) and looking at the pathways associated with the gene products, Eirx Therapeutics is able to optimise the selection of target candidates. ALIBI is already being used as part of Eirx Therapeutics' research program, but is now being offered to third parties on a fee-for-service basis.
Research Pipeline
It is estimated that 70% of human diseases can be associated with defects in the apoptosis pathways. However, Eirx Therapeutics has chosen to initially focus on cancer, chronic inflammatory diseases and neurodegenerative disorders, as all of these markets offer significant commercial opportunities. Eirx Therapeutics looks to identify both the genes involved in the apoptosis pathway and the genes associated with their expression. The characterisation of these genes may ultimately lead to the diagnosis and treatment/prevention of certain diseases. Of the 15 patent applications filed, 7 are for specific genes associated with cancer or inflammation:
Market Opportunity
As detailed, Eirx Therapeutics main foci are cancer, inflammatory diseases and neurogenerative disorders.
Cancer: The many forms of this disease share a common element, in as much that malignant cells fail to undergo apoptosis, resulting in uncontrolled cell proliferation. The global market for branded cancer drugs was estimated to exceed $14 billion in 2000. This figure is expected to more than double by the end of this decade.
Inflammation: Caspase-1 plays a key role in the generation of two important pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1b and IL-18). These cytokines have been shown to be associated with a number of chronic diseases, such as asthma, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In 2000 the global sales of asthma drugs was estimated to be between $7-10 billion, RA - $1.6 billion, IBD - $1 billion, with the treatment of COPD estimated to cost nearly $3 billion per annum.
Neurodegeneration: Conditions associated with premature cell death within the brain include Alzheimers and Parkinsons diseases. Global sales in 2000 for Alzheimers medication were estimated at just over $500 million. As the average age of mortality increases, due to better medication and standards of living, there is likely to be a dramatic increase in this market.
Although by targeting such large therapeutic markets, Eirx Therapeutics is maximising it commercial opportunities, it is still an early-stage company, which will out-license drug development pre-Phase I. Therefore, it would be meaningless to attempt to derive any valuation from the sales figures given above. When making its investment in Eirx Therapeutics, Billam Ag has taken a more realistic approach by evaluating the short to medium term potential of the research pipeline.
Business Model
The main source of revenue for Eirx Therapeutics will be milestone payments associated with out-licensed/partnered compounds. However, to reduce cash burn, Eirx Therapeutics will carry out contract research for third parties.
Commercial Partners
Eirx Therapeutic is currently working with three bio-pharmaceutical companies:
Regen Therapeutics (LSE:RGT) Service contract
SR Pharma (LSE:SPA) Research agreement-click for link to news story
OSI Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:OSIP) Currently evaluating several novel oncology targets with the option to license for drug discovery.
To date, the OSI Pharmaceutical deal represents the most exciting opportunity for Eirx Therapeutics, generating upfront access fees, consultancy fees and milestone payments totally up to $4.7 million per target based on successful commercialisation of a novel therapeutic. However, the company is in discussions with several other potential collaborators.
Pharmaceutical companies are increasingly interested in therapeutic agents that directly and selectively target the apoptosis process in humans cells. The table below gives examples of potential drugs undergoing clinical trials at present. The companies detailed can be viewed as competitors. However, given that Eirx Therapeutics are a target discovery company looking to out-license clinical development and the strength of their intellectual property portfolio, we are more inclined to view these companies as potential partners. Therefore, the level of interest in this field is encouraging.
Financial Statements
A summary of the key financial statements for the last 3 years are shown in the tables below:
Major Shareholders
Eirx Pharma is a life science investment company, which adopts a synergistic strategy in order to optimise its portfolio and drive shareholder value. Eirx Therapeutics is represent on the board of Eirx Pharma by and John Pool (Chairman of Eirx Therapeutics) and Peter Hoskins (CEO Eirx Pharma and advisor to Eirx Therapeutics). Shareholders of Eirx Pharma include institutions such as 3i Group, Enterprise Ireland and the University of Cork, as well as several investment companies and private individuals (see pie chart below):
http://www.billamag.net/focus-document-text.asp?FocusTextID=1
http://www.wallstreetreporter.com/interview.php?id=18589&player=wma
Eirx Therapeutics (LSE:ERX) Focus Of The Month
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Overview
Eirx Therapeutics is a Cork-based drug discovery company, focusing on the identification and commercialisation of genomic targets associated with the biological process of programmed cell death (apoptosis). The company has chosen to concentrate on three key therapeutic areas, cancer, chronic inflammatory diseases and neurodegenerative disorders, all of which offer billion dollar market opportunities.
The company was founded in 1999 as a spin-out from Cork University and to date has raised circa 9 million to expand its research and development programs, such that it now employs 12 individuals and has a strong patent portfolio. The most recent funding was a 1.25 million placing, executed in conjunction with an introduction to AIM (Alternative Investment Market) in January 2004. This is the second Irish biotech company to list on AIM, the first being Dublin-based Alltracel, increasing Irelands profile as a centre of biotechnology excellence.
Eirx Therapeutics has currently signed three collaborative agreements and is in negotiations with several other biopharmaceutical companies. In addition, the company has already intimated that it intends to expand the company through a series of strategic acquisitions.
Apoptosis
The term apoptosis was first used in a paper by Kerr, Wyllie, and Currie (Brit J. Cancer 26:239) in 1972 to distinguish a morphologically distinctive form of cell death associated with normal physiology from necrosis, which was associated with acute injury to cells. Apoptosis is characterized by nuclear chromatin condensation, cytoplasmic shrinking, dilated endoplasmic reticulum, and membrane blebbing. Apoptotic death can be triggered by various stimuli, however, not all cells will necessarily die in response to the same stimulus.
Apoptosis is as essential to an organism as cell division. In human development, the selective destruction of cells through apoptosis is responsible for the formation of fingers and toes in a forming foetus and the establishment of neural pathways within the brain. Apoptosis is also necessary for killing cells that would otherwise cause damage to the organism, for example cells infected with viruses.
If the process of apoptosis is in some way defective and these cells are left unchecked, a variety of disorders may ensue. The inability to destroy certain immune cells may lead to autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and insulin dependent diabetes. Cells with DNA damage may become cancerous, or in the case of reproductive cells cause birth defects. Conversely, neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases and stroke are associated with neuronal cell death caused by apoptosis.
Thus, the genes/proteins involved in the various apoptosis pathways are of increasing interest to the pharmaceutical industry as therapeutic targets, either through the use of inducers to initiate apoptosis or inhibitors to prevent apoptosis.
Technology
The structure and function of cells and ultimately of an organism, is dependent on a set of proteins. The protein complement encoded by the entire genome of an organism is referred to as the proteome. Proteins can be classified into various groups including, enzyme which catalyse reactions, antibodies, which are involved in the immune system, and signaling proteins which form complex pathways that mediate intracellular events such as apoptosis. Any mutations, either hereditary or spontaneous, in the genome can lead to the production of defective proteins and/or the incorrect regulation of gene expression, resulting in too much or too little of a protein being produced. Failure to produce the correct level of protein, at the right time and in the right place can have disastrous consequences and have been shown to be the underlying cause of numerous diseases.
Genomic studies have identified a plethora of genes directly and indirectly associated with both cell survival and apoptosis. However, many of these genes are incorrectly implicated in these processes, i.e."guilty by association". In order to eliminate genes associated but not causal to apoptosis, Eirx Therapeutics has developed a proprietary drug target discovery platform - ALIBI, which consists of a series of overlapping assays. By analysing temporal expression (i.e. when a gene is active compared with other apoptosis genes) and looking at the pathways associated with the gene products, Eirx Therapeutics is able to optimise the selection of target candidates. ALIBI is already being used as part of Eirx Therapeutics' research program, but is now being offered to third parties on a fee-for-service basis.
Research Pipeline
It is estimated that 70% of human diseases can be associated with defects in the apoptosis pathways. However, Eirx Therapeutics has chosen to initially focus on cancer, chronic inflammatory diseases and neurodegenerative disorders, as all of these markets offer significant commercial opportunities. Eirx Therapeutics looks to identify both the genes involved in the apoptosis pathway and the genes associated with their expression. The characterisation of these genes may ultimately lead to the diagnosis and treatment/prevention of certain diseases. Of the 15 patent applications filed, 7 are for specific genes associated with cancer or inflammation:
Market Opportunity
As detailed, Eirx Therapeutics main foci are cancer, inflammatory diseases and neurogenerative disorders.
Cancer: The many forms of this disease share a common element, in as much that malignant cells fail to undergo apoptosis, resulting in uncontrolled cell proliferation. The global market for branded cancer drugs was estimated to exceed $14 billion in 2000. This figure is expected to more than double by the end of this decade.
Inflammation: Caspase-1 plays a key role in the generation of two important pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1b and IL-18). These cytokines have been shown to be associated with a number of chronic diseases, such as asthma, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In 2000 the global sales of asthma drugs was estimated to be between $7-10 billion, RA - $1.6 billion, IBD - $1 billion, with the treatment of COPD estimated to cost nearly $3 billion per annum.
Neurodegeneration: Conditions associated with premature cell death within the brain include Alzheimers and Parkinsons diseases. Global sales in 2000 for Alzheimers medication were estimated at just over $500 million. As the average age of mortality increases, due to better medication and standards of living, there is likely to be a dramatic increase in this market.
Although by targeting such large therapeutic markets, Eirx Therapeutics is maximising it commercial opportunities, it is still an early-stage company, which will out-license drug development pre-Phase I. Therefore, it would be meaningless to attempt to derive any valuation from the sales figures given above. When making its investment in Eirx Therapeutics, Billam Ag has taken a more realistic approach by evaluating the short to medium term potential of the research pipeline.
Business Model
The main source of revenue for Eirx Therapeutics will be milestone payments associated with out-licensed/partnered compounds. However, to reduce cash burn, Eirx Therapeutics will carry out contract research for third parties.
Commercial Partners
Eirx Therapeutic is currently working with three bio-pharmaceutical companies:
Regen Therapeutics (LSE:RGT) Service contract
SR Pharma (LSE:SPA) Research agreement-click for link to news story
OSI Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:OSIP) Currently evaluating several novel oncology targets with the option to license for drug discovery.
To date, the OSI Pharmaceutical deal represents the most exciting opportunity for Eirx Therapeutics, generating upfront access fees, consultancy fees and milestone payments totally up to $4.7 million per target based on successful commercialisation of a novel therapeutic. However, the company is in discussions with several other potential collaborators.
Pharmaceutical companies are increasingly interested in therapeutic agents that directly and selectively target the apoptosis process in humans cells. The table below gives examples of potential drugs undergoing clinical trials at present. The companies detailed can be viewed as competitors. However, given that Eirx Therapeutics are a target discovery company looking to out-license clinical development and the strength of their intellectual property portfolio, we are more inclined to view these companies as potential partners. Therefore, the level of interest in this field is encouraging.
Financial Statements
A summary of the key financial statements for the last 3 years are shown in the tables below:
Major Shareholders
Eirx Pharma is a life science investment company, which adopts a synergistic strategy in order to optimise its portfolio and drive shareholder value. Eirx Therapeutics is represent on the board of Eirx Pharma by and John Pool (Chairman of Eirx Therapeutics) and Peter Hoskins (CEO Eirx Pharma and advisor to Eirx Therapeutics). Shareholders of Eirx Pharma include institutions such as 3i Group, Enterprise Ireland and the University of Cork, as well as several investment companies and private individuals (see pie chart below):
http://www.billamag.net/focus-document-text.asp?FocusTextID=1
driver
- 31 Aug 2006 12:28
- 12 of 28
potatohead
We have a thread thanks, the link is on there it's in the header it has been for months.
http://www.moneyam.com/InvestorsRoom/posts.php?tid=9739#lastread
We have a thread thanks, the link is on there it's in the header it has been for months.
http://www.moneyam.com/InvestorsRoom/posts.php?tid=9739#lastread
potatohead - 31 Aug 2006 13:14 - 13 of 28
afternoon rally going to take place.. orders from the USA for stock.. a lot of it
press coverage at the weekend.. should ensure 1p minimum
as the ceo says, this is incredibly undervalued
press coverage at the weekend.. should ensure 1p minimum
as the ceo says, this is incredibly undervalued
potatohead - 31 Aug 2006 13:37 - 14 of 28
LONDON (AFX) - Sareum Holdings PLC said it has discovered novel compound
series to fight cancer, through work with other research groups.
It said the new cancer therapeutics developed will potentially allow
effective treatment of tumours which do not respond to current treatments, as
well as lowering the dose required of existing therapies to reduce adverse side
effects.
The discovery was made by its joint cancer drug discovery collaboration with
The Institute of Cancer Research and Cancer Research Technology Ltd (CRT).
Sareum said, under the terms of an agreement, CRT will commercialise the
drug candidates developed by the collaboration to secure future clinical
development.
Payments, milestones and royalties received by CRT will be shared with
Sareum and The Institute.
newsdesk@afxnews.com
series to fight cancer, through work with other research groups.
It said the new cancer therapeutics developed will potentially allow
effective treatment of tumours which do not respond to current treatments, as
well as lowering the dose required of existing therapies to reduce adverse side
effects.
The discovery was made by its joint cancer drug discovery collaboration with
The Institute of Cancer Research and Cancer Research Technology Ltd (CRT).
Sareum said, under the terms of an agreement, CRT will commercialise the
drug candidates developed by the collaboration to secure future clinical
development.
Payments, milestones and royalties received by CRT will be shared with
Sareum and The Institute.
newsdesk@afxnews.com
potatohead - 31 Aug 2006 15:52 - 15 of 28
its going to fly
potatohead - 12 Sep 2006 11:05 - 16 of 28
Genentech Receives Complete Response Letter From FDA For Avastin(R) In Metastatic Breast Cancer
Main Category: Breast Cancer News
Article Date: 12 Sep 2006 - 0:00am (PDT)
| email this article | printer friendly | view opinions | Article Also Appears In
Clinical Trials / Drug Trials
Genentech, Inc. today announced that it received a Complete Response Letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for Avastin(R) with chemotherapy in first-line metastatic breast cancer. The FDA has requested a substantial safety and efficacy update from the E2100 trial, including an independent review of patient scans for progression free survival, the study's primary endpoint. Issuance of the Complete Response Letter satisfies the FDA's product review performance goals specified under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act. A new six-month review period will begin once the additional information requested is submitted to the FDA.
The sBLA submitted to the FDA on May 23, 2006 was based on interim data from the E2100 trial. The study was sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between NCI and Genentech and was conducted by a network of researchers led by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG). The FDA has communicated to Genentech that they now expect the information from this cooperative group trial to be audited and summarized in a manner typically used for a company-sponsored trial. This expectation is different from the understanding that Genentech had when the sBLA was submitted and will require the re-collection of information from ECOG study sites.
"We are disappointed that this will cause a delay in the review of our application, as there is a great unmet medical need for women with metastatic breast cancer. Based on the scope of this request, we anticipate we will be able to resubmit the application to the FDA by mid-2007," said Hal Barron, Genentech senior vice president, Development and chief medical officer. "We believe E2100 demonstrates significant clinical benefit and we will work with ECOG and the FDA to help bring Avastin to patients with metastatic breast cancer."
Genentech is pursuing a broad development program for Avastin that currently includes 130 clinical trials across 25 different types of cancer. As part of this program, Genentech is conducting two Phase III studies of Avastin plus chemotherapy in both first- and second-line metastatic breast cancer (RIBBON-1 and RIBBON-2). A third Phase III trial (AVADO) in first-line metastatic breast cancer is being conducted by Roche.
About E2100
Patients enrolled in E2100 were randomized to receive weekly treatment with paclitaxel, with or without Avastin administered every two weeks. In addition to patients with HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer, patients with HER2-positive tumors were enrolled in the study only if they had received prior treatment with Herceptin(R) (Trastuzumab) or were unable to receive treatment with Herceptin. Patients who had received adjuvant paclitaxel within the previous 12 months, patients with a prior history of blood clots or who were receiving blood thinners, and patients with brain metastases were excluded from the study. Results from the E2100 trial were first presented at the 2005 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting.
E2100 Safety Analysis
In the E2100 study, adverse events were similar to those seen in previous trials of Avastin plus chemotherapy. No new toxicities were identified as being associated with Avastin. Fatal events (Grade 5) occurred in less than 1 percent of patients enrolled in E2100. Grade 3/4 adverse events that occurred more often (equal to or greater than 5 percent) in the Avastin plus paclitaxel arm than in the paclitaxel alone arm included hypertension and sensory neuropathy. Grade 3/4 sensory neuropathy occurred in 23 percent of patients in the Avastin plus paclitaxel arm and in 17 percent of patients in the paclitaxel alone arm. Neuropathy is known to be associated with duration of paclitaxel therapy. Adverse events associated with Avastin including symptomatic congestive heart failure, serious bleeding and arterial thromboembolic events were not different in terms of incidence or severity relative to what has been previously observed in Avastin clinical trials. In addition, there was no increase in the incidence of Grade 3/4 venous thromboembolic events with the addition of Avastin to paclitaxel in this study.
About Avastin
Avastin is a therapeutic antibody designed to inhibit Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), a protein that plays an important role in tumor angiogenesis and maintenance of existing tumor vessels. By inhibiting VEGF, Avastin is designed to interfere with the blood supply to a tumor, a process that is thought to be critical to a tumor's growth and metastasis. For full prescribing information and boxed warnings on Avastin and information about angiogenesis, visit http://www.gene.com. For more information on Avastin, visit http://www.avastin.com.
Avastin, in combination with intravenous 5-FU-based chemotherapy, is indicated for first- or second-line treatment of patients with metastatic carcinoma of the colon or rectum. The FDA first approved Avastin on February 26, 2004 as a first-line treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer in combination with intravenous 5-FU-based chemotherapy. Approval was based on data from two trials. The pivotal trial was a large, placebo-controlled, randomized study that demonstrated a prolongation in the median survival of patients treated with Avastin plus the IFL (5-FU/leucovorin/CPT-11) chemotherapy regimen by approximately five months, compared to patients treated with the IFL chemotherapy regimen alone (20.3 months versus 15.6 months). The addition of Avastin to IFL improved overall survival by 52 percent (based on a hazard ratio of 0.66). In addition, this study demonstrated an improvement in progression-free survival of more than four months (10.6 months in the Avastin/IFL arm compared to 6.2 months in the IFL-alone arm).
Avastin Safety Profile
Avastin has a well-established safety profile. In Genentech-sponsored studies, the most serious adverse events associated with Avastin were gastrointestinal perforation, wound healing complications, hemorrhage, arterial thromboembolic events, hypertensive crisis, nephrotic syndrome and congestive heart failure. The most common Grade 3/4 adverse events (occurring in greater than two percent of patients in the Avastin arm, compared to the control group) were asthenia, pain, hypertension, diarrhea and leukopenia. The most common adverse events (occurring in greater than two percent of patients in the Avastin arm, compared to the control group) of any severity were asthenia, pain, abdominal pain, headache, hypertension, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, anorexia, stomatitis, constipation, upper respiratory infection, epistaxis, dyspnea, exfoliative dermatitis and proteinuria.
About the Avastin Development Program
Based on data showing that VEGF may play an important role in a range of cancers, Genentech is pursuing a broad development program for Avastin. Avastin is being evaluated in Phase III clinical trials for its potential use in adjuvant and metastatic colorectal, renal cell (kidney), breast, pancreatic, non-small cell lung, prostate and ovarian cancers. Avastin is also being evaluated in earlier stage trials as a potential therapy in a variety of solid tumor cancers and hematologic malignancies. In April 2006, Genentech submitted an sBLA for Avastin plus platinum-based chemotherapy for first-line treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer other than predominant squamous histology. For further information about Avastin clinical trials, please call 888-662-6728.
About VEGF and Tumor Angiogenesis
The link between angiogenesis and cancer growth has been discussed by many researchers for decades. It wasn't until 1989 that a key growth factor influencing the process, VEGF, was discovered by Napoleone Ferrara, M.D., a staff scientist at Genentech. Dr. Ferrara and his team at Genentech cloned VEGF, providing some of the first evidence that a specific angiogenic growth factor existed. This research was published in the journal Science in 1989. Dr. Ferrara then created a mouse antibody to this protein.
In 1993, in a study published in Nature, Dr. Ferrara and his team demonstrated that the antibody directed against VEGF could suppress angiogenesis and tumor growth in preclinical models, providing compelling evidence that VEGF can play a critical role in tumor growth. Clinical studies with a humanized version of the antibody, Avastin, began in 1997.
About Breast Cancer
According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 212,920 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer along with a much smaller number of men, and approximately 40,970 women will die of the disease in the United States in 2006. Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer among women in the United States, and a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States every three minutes.
About Genentech BioOncology
Genentech is committed to changing the way cancer is treated by establishing a broad oncology portfolio of innovative, targeted therapies with the goal of improving patients' lives. The company is the leading provider of anti-tumor therapeutics in the United States. Genentech is conducting clinical development programs for Rituxan(R) (Rituximab), Herceptin(R) (Trastuzumab), Avastin(R) (bevacizumab), and Tarceva(R) (erlotinib), and markets all four products in the United States, either alone (Avastin and Herceptin) or with Biogen Idec, Inc. (Rituxan) or OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Tarceva).
The company has a robust pipeline of potential oncology therapies with a focus on four key areas: angiogenesis, apoptosis (i.e., programmed cell death), the HER pathway, and B-cell biology. An investigational antibody directed at the HER pathway is currently in Phase II trials. In early development, are a small molecule directed at the hedgehog pathway and an investigational agent targeting apoptosis.
Founded 30 years ago, Genentech is a leading biotechnology company that discovers, develops, manufactures and commercializes biotherapeutics for significant unmet medical needs. A considerable number of the currently approved biotechnology products originated from or are based on Genentech science. Genentech manufactures and commercializes multiple biotechnology products directly in the United States and licenses several additional products to other companies. The company has headquarters in South San Francisco, Calif., and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DNA. For additional information about the company, please visit http://www.gene.com.
For the full prescribing information for Tarceva and the full prescribing information and Boxed Warnings for Rituxan, Herceptin, and Avastin, please visit .
This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding the timing for re-submission of the Avastin metastatic breast cancer sBLA and bringing Avastin to metastatic breast cancer patients. Such statements are predictions and involves risks and uncertainties such that the actual results may differ materially. Among other things, the timing for resubmitting the Avastin sBLA could be affected by unexpected safety, efficacy or manufacturing issues, availability or sufficiency of study data, additional time requirements for data preparation, collection or analyses, coordination with third parties or decision-making, need for additional data or clinical studies, discussions with the FDA, and FDA actions or delays; bringing Avastin to patients could be affected by all of the foregoing and by failure to receive or maintain FDA approval, competition, reimbursement, coverage, pricing, the ability to supply product, product withdrawal, new product approvals and launches, intellectual property or contract rights and higher than anticipated costs of sales or other expenses. Please also refer to Genentech's periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Genentech disclaims, and does not undertake, any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements in this press release.
Main Category: Breast Cancer News
Article Date: 12 Sep 2006 - 0:00am (PDT)
| email this article | printer friendly | view opinions | Article Also Appears In
Clinical Trials / Drug Trials
Genentech, Inc. today announced that it received a Complete Response Letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for Avastin(R) with chemotherapy in first-line metastatic breast cancer. The FDA has requested a substantial safety and efficacy update from the E2100 trial, including an independent review of patient scans for progression free survival, the study's primary endpoint. Issuance of the Complete Response Letter satisfies the FDA's product review performance goals specified under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act. A new six-month review period will begin once the additional information requested is submitted to the FDA.
The sBLA submitted to the FDA on May 23, 2006 was based on interim data from the E2100 trial. The study was sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between NCI and Genentech and was conducted by a network of researchers led by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG). The FDA has communicated to Genentech that they now expect the information from this cooperative group trial to be audited and summarized in a manner typically used for a company-sponsored trial. This expectation is different from the understanding that Genentech had when the sBLA was submitted and will require the re-collection of information from ECOG study sites.
"We are disappointed that this will cause a delay in the review of our application, as there is a great unmet medical need for women with metastatic breast cancer. Based on the scope of this request, we anticipate we will be able to resubmit the application to the FDA by mid-2007," said Hal Barron, Genentech senior vice president, Development and chief medical officer. "We believe E2100 demonstrates significant clinical benefit and we will work with ECOG and the FDA to help bring Avastin to patients with metastatic breast cancer."
Genentech is pursuing a broad development program for Avastin that currently includes 130 clinical trials across 25 different types of cancer. As part of this program, Genentech is conducting two Phase III studies of Avastin plus chemotherapy in both first- and second-line metastatic breast cancer (RIBBON-1 and RIBBON-2). A third Phase III trial (AVADO) in first-line metastatic breast cancer is being conducted by Roche.
About E2100
Patients enrolled in E2100 were randomized to receive weekly treatment with paclitaxel, with or without Avastin administered every two weeks. In addition to patients with HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer, patients with HER2-positive tumors were enrolled in the study only if they had received prior treatment with Herceptin(R) (Trastuzumab) or were unable to receive treatment with Herceptin. Patients who had received adjuvant paclitaxel within the previous 12 months, patients with a prior history of blood clots or who were receiving blood thinners, and patients with brain metastases were excluded from the study. Results from the E2100 trial were first presented at the 2005 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting.
E2100 Safety Analysis
In the E2100 study, adverse events were similar to those seen in previous trials of Avastin plus chemotherapy. No new toxicities were identified as being associated with Avastin. Fatal events (Grade 5) occurred in less than 1 percent of patients enrolled in E2100. Grade 3/4 adverse events that occurred more often (equal to or greater than 5 percent) in the Avastin plus paclitaxel arm than in the paclitaxel alone arm included hypertension and sensory neuropathy. Grade 3/4 sensory neuropathy occurred in 23 percent of patients in the Avastin plus paclitaxel arm and in 17 percent of patients in the paclitaxel alone arm. Neuropathy is known to be associated with duration of paclitaxel therapy. Adverse events associated with Avastin including symptomatic congestive heart failure, serious bleeding and arterial thromboembolic events were not different in terms of incidence or severity relative to what has been previously observed in Avastin clinical trials. In addition, there was no increase in the incidence of Grade 3/4 venous thromboembolic events with the addition of Avastin to paclitaxel in this study.
About Avastin
Avastin is a therapeutic antibody designed to inhibit Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), a protein that plays an important role in tumor angiogenesis and maintenance of existing tumor vessels. By inhibiting VEGF, Avastin is designed to interfere with the blood supply to a tumor, a process that is thought to be critical to a tumor's growth and metastasis. For full prescribing information and boxed warnings on Avastin and information about angiogenesis, visit http://www.gene.com. For more information on Avastin, visit http://www.avastin.com.
Avastin, in combination with intravenous 5-FU-based chemotherapy, is indicated for first- or second-line treatment of patients with metastatic carcinoma of the colon or rectum. The FDA first approved Avastin on February 26, 2004 as a first-line treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer in combination with intravenous 5-FU-based chemotherapy. Approval was based on data from two trials. The pivotal trial was a large, placebo-controlled, randomized study that demonstrated a prolongation in the median survival of patients treated with Avastin plus the IFL (5-FU/leucovorin/CPT-11) chemotherapy regimen by approximately five months, compared to patients treated with the IFL chemotherapy regimen alone (20.3 months versus 15.6 months). The addition of Avastin to IFL improved overall survival by 52 percent (based on a hazard ratio of 0.66). In addition, this study demonstrated an improvement in progression-free survival of more than four months (10.6 months in the Avastin/IFL arm compared to 6.2 months in the IFL-alone arm).
Avastin Safety Profile
Avastin has a well-established safety profile. In Genentech-sponsored studies, the most serious adverse events associated with Avastin were gastrointestinal perforation, wound healing complications, hemorrhage, arterial thromboembolic events, hypertensive crisis, nephrotic syndrome and congestive heart failure. The most common Grade 3/4 adverse events (occurring in greater than two percent of patients in the Avastin arm, compared to the control group) were asthenia, pain, hypertension, diarrhea and leukopenia. The most common adverse events (occurring in greater than two percent of patients in the Avastin arm, compared to the control group) of any severity were asthenia, pain, abdominal pain, headache, hypertension, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, anorexia, stomatitis, constipation, upper respiratory infection, epistaxis, dyspnea, exfoliative dermatitis and proteinuria.
About the Avastin Development Program
Based on data showing that VEGF may play an important role in a range of cancers, Genentech is pursuing a broad development program for Avastin. Avastin is being evaluated in Phase III clinical trials for its potential use in adjuvant and metastatic colorectal, renal cell (kidney), breast, pancreatic, non-small cell lung, prostate and ovarian cancers. Avastin is also being evaluated in earlier stage trials as a potential therapy in a variety of solid tumor cancers and hematologic malignancies. In April 2006, Genentech submitted an sBLA for Avastin plus platinum-based chemotherapy for first-line treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer other than predominant squamous histology. For further information about Avastin clinical trials, please call 888-662-6728.
About VEGF and Tumor Angiogenesis
The link between angiogenesis and cancer growth has been discussed by many researchers for decades. It wasn't until 1989 that a key growth factor influencing the process, VEGF, was discovered by Napoleone Ferrara, M.D., a staff scientist at Genentech. Dr. Ferrara and his team at Genentech cloned VEGF, providing some of the first evidence that a specific angiogenic growth factor existed. This research was published in the journal Science in 1989. Dr. Ferrara then created a mouse antibody to this protein.
In 1993, in a study published in Nature, Dr. Ferrara and his team demonstrated that the antibody directed against VEGF could suppress angiogenesis and tumor growth in preclinical models, providing compelling evidence that VEGF can play a critical role in tumor growth. Clinical studies with a humanized version of the antibody, Avastin, began in 1997.
About Breast Cancer
According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 212,920 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer along with a much smaller number of men, and approximately 40,970 women will die of the disease in the United States in 2006. Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer among women in the United States, and a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States every three minutes.
About Genentech BioOncology
Genentech is committed to changing the way cancer is treated by establishing a broad oncology portfolio of innovative, targeted therapies with the goal of improving patients' lives. The company is the leading provider of anti-tumor therapeutics in the United States. Genentech is conducting clinical development programs for Rituxan(R) (Rituximab), Herceptin(R) (Trastuzumab), Avastin(R) (bevacizumab), and Tarceva(R) (erlotinib), and markets all four products in the United States, either alone (Avastin and Herceptin) or with Biogen Idec, Inc. (Rituxan) or OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Tarceva).
The company has a robust pipeline of potential oncology therapies with a focus on four key areas: angiogenesis, apoptosis (i.e., programmed cell death), the HER pathway, and B-cell biology. An investigational antibody directed at the HER pathway is currently in Phase II trials. In early development, are a small molecule directed at the hedgehog pathway and an investigational agent targeting apoptosis.
Founded 30 years ago, Genentech is a leading biotechnology company that discovers, develops, manufactures and commercializes biotherapeutics for significant unmet medical needs. A considerable number of the currently approved biotechnology products originated from or are based on Genentech science. Genentech manufactures and commercializes multiple biotechnology products directly in the United States and licenses several additional products to other companies. The company has headquarters in South San Francisco, Calif., and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DNA. For additional information about the company, please visit http://www.gene.com.
For the full prescribing information for Tarceva and the full prescribing information and Boxed Warnings for Rituxan, Herceptin, and Avastin, please visit .
This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding the timing for re-submission of the Avastin metastatic breast cancer sBLA and bringing Avastin to metastatic breast cancer patients. Such statements are predictions and involves risks and uncertainties such that the actual results may differ materially. Among other things, the timing for resubmitting the Avastin sBLA could be affected by unexpected safety, efficacy or manufacturing issues, availability or sufficiency of study data, additional time requirements for data preparation, collection or analyses, coordination with third parties or decision-making, need for additional data or clinical studies, discussions with the FDA, and FDA actions or delays; bringing Avastin to patients could be affected by all of the foregoing and by failure to receive or maintain FDA approval, competition, reimbursement, coverage, pricing, the ability to supply product, product withdrawal, new product approvals and launches, intellectual property or contract rights and higher than anticipated costs of sales or other expenses. Please also refer to Genentech's periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Genentech disclaims, and does not undertake, any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements in this press release.
potatohead - 12 Sep 2006 11:12 - 17 of 28
Advanced Life Sciences Presents Scientific Data on the Synthesis and Apoptotic Activity of New Caspase-Activating Pentacyclic Triterpenoids at the 232nd American Chemical Society National Meeting
ALS-357 Initiating Phase I/II Clinical Trials in Metastatic Melanoma in 2007
WOODRIDGE, Ill., Sept. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Advanced Life Sciences Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADLS) , a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development and commercialization of novel drugs in the therapeutic areas of infection, cancer and inflammation made an oral presentation and presented a poster at the 232nd American Chemical Society National Meeting. This year's meeting is taking place in San Francisco, California, from September 10 through September 14, 2006. More than 12,500 scientists are expected to attend the Fall meeting. The Company's presentations detailed research on the chemical synthesis and apoptotic activity of caspase-activating pentacyclic triterpenoids.
The caspases belong to a family of protease enzymes that, upon activation, cleave an array of cellular proteins necessary for cell viability. This process of programmed cell death, or apoptosis, is necessary for the removal of unwanted or useless cells. The Company's lead oncology drug candidate, ALS-357, is a pentacyclic triterpenoid with an open IND to initiate Phase I/II clinical trials to treat metastatic melanoma in 2007. ALS-357 has been reported to induce apoptosis in melanoma, leukemia and difficult-to-treat neuroblastoma cell lines. It may target the mitochondria directly in these cancer cells, thus triggering activation of pro-apoptotic proteins involved in internucleosomal DNA fragmentation.
In the ongoing search for molecules effective against cancer with novel mechanisms of action, scientists at Advanced Life Sciences have embarked on the design and chemical synthesis of other novel triterpenoids. New molecules discovered through this research have emerged as potent second generation anti-cancer agents against melanoma, glioblastoma, ovarian and colon cancer cell lines. These molecules, like ALS-357, have been shown to induce apoptosis in these tumor cell lines and may represent potential new anti-cancer drug candidates.
About Advanced Life Sciences
Advanced Life Sciences is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development and commercialization of novel drugs in the therapeutic areas of infection, cancer and inflammation. The Company's lead candidate, cethromycin, is a novel ketolide antibiotic in late-stage clinical development for the treatment of respiratory tract infections.
Forward-Looking Statements
Any statements contained in this presentation that relate to future plans, events or performance are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward- looking statements.
These risks and uncertainties include, among others, those relating to technology and product development, market acceptance, government regulation and regulatory approval processes, intellectual property rights and litigation, dependence on collaborative relationships, ability to obtain financing, competitive products, industry trends and other risks identified in Advanced Life Sciences' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Advanced Life Sciences undertakes no obligation to update or alter these forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
ALS-357 Initiating Phase I/II Clinical Trials in Metastatic Melanoma in 2007
WOODRIDGE, Ill., Sept. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Advanced Life Sciences Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADLS) , a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development and commercialization of novel drugs in the therapeutic areas of infection, cancer and inflammation made an oral presentation and presented a poster at the 232nd American Chemical Society National Meeting. This year's meeting is taking place in San Francisco, California, from September 10 through September 14, 2006. More than 12,500 scientists are expected to attend the Fall meeting. The Company's presentations detailed research on the chemical synthesis and apoptotic activity of caspase-activating pentacyclic triterpenoids.
The caspases belong to a family of protease enzymes that, upon activation, cleave an array of cellular proteins necessary for cell viability. This process of programmed cell death, or apoptosis, is necessary for the removal of unwanted or useless cells. The Company's lead oncology drug candidate, ALS-357, is a pentacyclic triterpenoid with an open IND to initiate Phase I/II clinical trials to treat metastatic melanoma in 2007. ALS-357 has been reported to induce apoptosis in melanoma, leukemia and difficult-to-treat neuroblastoma cell lines. It may target the mitochondria directly in these cancer cells, thus triggering activation of pro-apoptotic proteins involved in internucleosomal DNA fragmentation.
In the ongoing search for molecules effective against cancer with novel mechanisms of action, scientists at Advanced Life Sciences have embarked on the design and chemical synthesis of other novel triterpenoids. New molecules discovered through this research have emerged as potent second generation anti-cancer agents against melanoma, glioblastoma, ovarian and colon cancer cell lines. These molecules, like ALS-357, have been shown to induce apoptosis in these tumor cell lines and may represent potential new anti-cancer drug candidates.
About Advanced Life Sciences
Advanced Life Sciences is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development and commercialization of novel drugs in the therapeutic areas of infection, cancer and inflammation. The Company's lead candidate, cethromycin, is a novel ketolide antibiotic in late-stage clinical development for the treatment of respiratory tract infections.
Forward-Looking Statements
Any statements contained in this presentation that relate to future plans, events or performance are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward- looking statements.
These risks and uncertainties include, among others, those relating to technology and product development, market acceptance, government regulation and regulatory approval processes, intellectual property rights and litigation, dependence on collaborative relationships, ability to obtain financing, competitive products, industry trends and other risks identified in Advanced Life Sciences' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Advanced Life Sciences undertakes no obligation to update or alter these forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
potatohead - 13 Sep 2006 09:40 - 18 of 28
news is def soon
Eirx presenting in Japan at the BIO-Japan Conference last week.
http://expo.nikkeibp.co.jp/biojapan/2006/eng/report004.html
Eirx presenting in Japan at the BIO-Japan Conference last week.
http://expo.nikkeibp.co.jp/biojapan/2006/eng/report004.html
potatohead - 13 Sep 2006 09:54 - 19 of 28
Wednesday is a shared program with Preclinical Disease Models
7:00 am Registration & Morning Coffee
7:30 Breakfast Workshop Sponsored by
Advanced RNAi Technology for Genome-Wide Screening
Dr. Eric Lader, Associate Director, R&D, QIAGEN
Virtually any mammalian gene can be targeted in cell culture for silencing by short interfering RNA (siRNA), efficiently delivered into cells using lipid based transfection reagents. Synthetic siRNA libraries are ideal tools for genome-wide high throughput screening in cell models. We will present latest technology and product solutions developed at QIAGEN, specifically on genome-wide library design and synthesis, stringent homology search tools to avoid off-target effects, best siRNA controls to standardize all cellular assays, and high throughput siRNA delivery using reverse transfection approaches.
KEYNOTE SESSION
8:30 Keynote Introduction
8:40 Target Discovery: Seeking Innovation and the Role of Collaboration with Biotech and Academia
Jeremy Levin, D. Phil, MB. Bchir, Global Head, Business Development and Strategic Alliances, Novartis
9:10 Reducing Clinical Attrition through Efficiencies in Discovery
Joseph Bolen, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Research & Drug Discovery, Millennium Pharmaceuticals
9:40 Coffee Break in the Exhibit Hall
IN VIVO RNAI FOR FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS, TARGET VALIDATION & THERAPEUTIC DEVELOPMENT:
DELIVERY AND STABILITY OF RNAI IN VIVO
10:20 Introduction and Welcome to RNAi: From Target Discovery & Validation to Therapeutic Development
10:30 Cell-Type and Tissue-Specific RNAi (Genes & Development Jan. 2006)
Miles Wilkinson, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, MD Anderson Cancer Center
We present a simple approach to stably knockdown the expression of genes in specific cell types in vivo. The approach mimics the way naturally occurring microRNAs down regulate their targets. This microRNA-based approach can be used to determine the tissue- or cell type-specific function of genes in experimental animals or be used as a therapeutic agent to silence deleterious genes in specific target tissues or cell types in humans.
11:00 siRNA Targeting TNF Modulates Host Resistance to Herpes Simplex Virus (Nature Protocols in press)
Edouard Cantin, Ph.D., Professor and Associate Chairman, Division of Virology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope Medical Center
Data on in vivo application of siRNA targeting TNF in a mouse model of HSV encephalitis will be presented. Peritoneal macrophages were efficiently transfected with 27-mer siRNAs in vivo using Mirus TransIT TKO transfection reagent and these cells migrated rapidly to the brainstem of HSV infected mice. Using this in vivo siRNA delivery system, we have been able to confirm that TNF signals independently of the known TNF receptors to mediate resistance to fatal HSV encephalitis. Additionally, we have shown trafficking of in vivo transfected macrophages into tumors, illustrating the potential utility of the procedure for targeting macrophages in diverse disease states.
11:30 Genetic Analysis of Autoimmunity by RNA Interference (Nature Genetics April 2006)
Patrick Stern, Ph.D., Researcher, Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
One of the challenges in identifying susceptibility genes in multigenic diseases is the validation of individual candidate loci by experimentation. We have made use of lentiviral RNA intereference by transgenesis to test a candidate gene, Nramp1, in the type 1 diabetes-prone NOD mouse strain. We found that Nramp1 silencing reduced disease frequency and confirmed this gene's involvement in disease, making this approach a feasible strategy for the identification of susceptibility genes in this and other complex diseases.
11:45 Reproducible and Inducible Knockdown of Gene Expression in Mice (Genesis May 2006)
Jing Yu, Ph.D., Research Scientist, Andrew McMahon Laboratory, Harvard University
In mammalian cells, vector-based expression of small hairpin RNAs (shRNA) produces potent and stable gene knockdown effects. An inducible RNAi system with reproducible levels of siRNA expression will extend the usefulness of this methodology to the identification of gene functions within the developing or adult mouse. We present evidence that an RNA polymerase III driven U6 promoter with stuffer sequences flanked by loxP sites inserted at three different sites within the promoter drives shRNA expression in a Cre recombinase-dependent manner. We have utilized this approach to develop a generic strategy for the reproducible knockdown of gene expression in mice by placing the inducible shRNA cassette into the ROSA26 locus of the mouse. This approach circumvents the pre-screening of random integration in ES clones and further enables conditional gene knockdown with temporal and/or tissue specificity. This methodology should expedite large-scale functional studies.Technology Watch
12:00 Localized and Systemic In Vivo Delivery of RNAi
Devin Leake, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Biology, Dharmacon
12:30 Lunch in the Exhibit HallRoundtable Buzz Session
Roundtable Buzz Session
2:00
Roundtable: In Vivo Delivery Technology
Moderator: To be Announced
Discussion Points:
Gene Specific Knockdown
Localized and Systemic In Vivo Delivery of RNAi
Comparison of Delivery Methodologies
Roundtable: RNAi Therapeutic Development
Moderator: Kevin Morris, Ph.D., Assistant Processor, Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute
Discussion Points:
Therapeutic Potential of siRNA-mediated Transcriptional Gene Silencing
Delivery Make or Break
Clinical Roadblocks
Roundtable: Target Effects & Other Technical Issues
Moderator: Michele Cleary, Ph.D., Research Fellow, Rosetta Inpharmatics, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Merck and Co.
Discussion Points:
Incorporating Multiple shRNAs into Screening Platforms
siRNA Controls
siRNA Design
Roundtable: Validation of RNAi Knockdown
Moderator: Finbarr Murphy, Ph.D., Managing Director, Drug Discovery, EiRx Therapeutics Ltd.
Discussion Points:
Pro & Cons of Current Methodologies for Functional Validation
Is RT-QPCR the only Realistic High-throughput Method for Measuring Endogenous Message Knockdown?
Some Common Problems Associated with RT-QPCR in High-throughput Screening
How to Relate Message Knockdown with Protein Knockdown?
What Level of Protein Knockdown Reflects Closest the Mode of Action of Drug?
Roundtable: Building Better Disease Models
Moderator: Richard Roman, Ph.D., Founder, PhysioGenix; Head, Renal Center, Medical College of Wisconsin
Discussion Points:
Meeting the Challenges of Reproducing a Human Disease for Drug Discovery
Creating a Consistent System for Evaluating and Comparing the Validity of Disease Models
3:30 Refreshment Break in the Exhibit Hall
EVALUATION OF IN VIVO DELIVERY AND STABILITY SOLUTIONS AVAILABLE
Six or more companies will present their solutions to in vivo delivery and stability in a series of concise presentations. Questions from potential technology end-users from both larger pharma and biotech companies and academic labs will be answered following each talk. Discussions will follow.
4:00 Company One: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Delivery Technology: siRNA design, modifications of siRNA for improved stability, systemic delivery, anti-viral applications
Presenter: TBA, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.
4:20 Company Two: Nastech Pharmaceutical Company Inc.
Delivery Technology: siRNA delivery via intra-nasal, intra-pulmonary and systemic routes, peptide and lipid based delivery, anti-viral applications
Presenter: Paul H. Johnson, Ph. D., Senior Vice President of Research and Development, Chief Scientific Officer, Nastech Pharmaceutical Company Inc.
4:40 Company Three: Atugen AG
Delivery Technology: siRNA design, modifications of siRNA for improved stability, oncology applications
Presenter: Klaus Giese, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, Atugen AG / SR Pharma plc
5:00 Company Four: Artemis Pharmaceuticals GmbH
Delivery Technology: RNAi transgenics (constitutive and inducible)
Presenter: Holger Kissel, PhD., Senior Manager, Scientific Project Management, Artemis Pharmaceuticals-an Exelixis Company
5:20 Company Five: Protiva Biotherapeutics Inc.
Delivery Technology: siRNA Design, Modifications of siRNA for Improved Stability, SNALP Based Delivery
Presenter: Ian Maclachlan, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, Protiva Biotherapeutics Inc.
5:40 Company Six: Sirna Therapeutics, Inc.
Delivery Technology: siRNA design, modifications of siRNA for improved stability, anti-viral (HCV/HBV), dermal applications
Presenter: Barry Polisky, Senior Vice President & CSO, Sirna Therapeutics, Inc.
6:00 End-User Panelists
Moitreyee Chatterjee-Kishore, Ph.D., Inflammation Team Leader, Biological Technologies, Wyeth Research
Joanne Kamens, Ph.D., Group Leader, Molecular & Cellular Biology, Abbott Bioresearch Center
Miles Wilkinson, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Edouard Cantin, Ph.D., Professor and Associate Chairman, Division of Virology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope Medical Center
6:30 In Vivo Networking Reception (Sponsorship Available)
Thursday, October 26
INTEGRATING METHODOLOGIES TO INCREASE EFFICIENCY - THE TARGET VALIDATION TOOL BOX OF TODAY
RNAi had become a very powerful tool in target discovery and validation but is becoming one of the tools in the tool kit rather than the tool of choice. The current overall strategy for validation is to continue to integrate a wide variety of methodologies to increase efficiency. The following group of experts will highlight the tools and technologies they are currently being employed to get the job done and will mention the maturing of RNAi as a technology. Some time will be dedicated to discussing when to use RNAi technology as an entry point for a project or as follow up from another entry point or how to know when it is the not the tool for the job at all! The key to target validation is a platform approach that brings multiple, system relevant approaches to bear in a variety of systematic industrialized approaches. Case Studies will be given by the following experts in the Target Validation arena.
8:30 Chairpersons Remarks
Michael R. Cancilla, Ph.D., Associate Director, Translational Medicine, Exelixis, Inc.
8:40 Target ID & Validation Toolbox Case Study #1:
Mark A. Labow, Ph.D., Executive Director, Platform and Chemical Biology Department, Genome and Proteome Sciences, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research
The changing behavior of cells in health and disease is largely governed by the activation, repression and interaction of signal transduction pathways. We will describe a platform of technologies for systematic gain-of-function and loss-of-function analysis in mammalian cells. The application of these approaches to identification of molecular pathways and individual proteins which regulate disease-related processes will be presented.
9:10 Target ID & Validation Toolbox Case Study #2:
Michele Cleary, Ph.D., Research Fellow, Rosetta Inpharmatics, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Merck and Co.
We have optimized high throughput lentivirus-mediated delivery of short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) for use in screens for novel cancer gene targets. We are using this approach to identify genes whose silencing enhances the effects of existing chemotherapeutic compounds. The hits from our screens are useful in two key ways: First, these genes, or members of their respective pathways, may serve as ideal targets for small molecule inhibitors that could be administered in combination with lower doses of standard chemotherapies. Second, these hits may provide better predictions of patient response to the treatment studied. Along with screening for novel drug targets, we are using vector-mediated RNAi to explore cancer gene networks through microarray profiling. Previously, we reported that transfection of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) can result in the cleavage of unintended targets. Although less prevalent, we find that shRNAs can also result in silencing of transcripts other than that for which the shRNA was designed. We see that such off-target mRNAs are enriched for transcripts containing the shRNA antisense strand equivalents of microRNA seed-region hexamers. This observation suggests that, like siRNAs, shRNAs are not exquisitely specific, and very short regions of homology within a core shRNA sequence are sufficient to produce undesired effects. These results emphasize the need to use multiple RNAi sequences to ensure that observed phenotypes correspond directly to silencing of intended target genes. Because of this, we have incorporated the use of multiple shRNAs into our screening platform.
7:00 am Registration & Morning Coffee
7:30 Breakfast Workshop Sponsored by
Advanced RNAi Technology for Genome-Wide Screening
Dr. Eric Lader, Associate Director, R&D, QIAGEN
Virtually any mammalian gene can be targeted in cell culture for silencing by short interfering RNA (siRNA), efficiently delivered into cells using lipid based transfection reagents. Synthetic siRNA libraries are ideal tools for genome-wide high throughput screening in cell models. We will present latest technology and product solutions developed at QIAGEN, specifically on genome-wide library design and synthesis, stringent homology search tools to avoid off-target effects, best siRNA controls to standardize all cellular assays, and high throughput siRNA delivery using reverse transfection approaches.
KEYNOTE SESSION
8:30 Keynote Introduction
8:40 Target Discovery: Seeking Innovation and the Role of Collaboration with Biotech and Academia
Jeremy Levin, D. Phil, MB. Bchir, Global Head, Business Development and Strategic Alliances, Novartis
9:10 Reducing Clinical Attrition through Efficiencies in Discovery
Joseph Bolen, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Research & Drug Discovery, Millennium Pharmaceuticals
9:40 Coffee Break in the Exhibit Hall
IN VIVO RNAI FOR FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS, TARGET VALIDATION & THERAPEUTIC DEVELOPMENT:
DELIVERY AND STABILITY OF RNAI IN VIVO
10:20 Introduction and Welcome to RNAi: From Target Discovery & Validation to Therapeutic Development
10:30 Cell-Type and Tissue-Specific RNAi (Genes & Development Jan. 2006)
Miles Wilkinson, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, MD Anderson Cancer Center
We present a simple approach to stably knockdown the expression of genes in specific cell types in vivo. The approach mimics the way naturally occurring microRNAs down regulate their targets. This microRNA-based approach can be used to determine the tissue- or cell type-specific function of genes in experimental animals or be used as a therapeutic agent to silence deleterious genes in specific target tissues or cell types in humans.
11:00 siRNA Targeting TNF Modulates Host Resistance to Herpes Simplex Virus (Nature Protocols in press)
Edouard Cantin, Ph.D., Professor and Associate Chairman, Division of Virology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope Medical Center
Data on in vivo application of siRNA targeting TNF in a mouse model of HSV encephalitis will be presented. Peritoneal macrophages were efficiently transfected with 27-mer siRNAs in vivo using Mirus TransIT TKO transfection reagent and these cells migrated rapidly to the brainstem of HSV infected mice. Using this in vivo siRNA delivery system, we have been able to confirm that TNF signals independently of the known TNF receptors to mediate resistance to fatal HSV encephalitis. Additionally, we have shown trafficking of in vivo transfected macrophages into tumors, illustrating the potential utility of the procedure for targeting macrophages in diverse disease states.
11:30 Genetic Analysis of Autoimmunity by RNA Interference (Nature Genetics April 2006)
Patrick Stern, Ph.D., Researcher, Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
One of the challenges in identifying susceptibility genes in multigenic diseases is the validation of individual candidate loci by experimentation. We have made use of lentiviral RNA intereference by transgenesis to test a candidate gene, Nramp1, in the type 1 diabetes-prone NOD mouse strain. We found that Nramp1 silencing reduced disease frequency and confirmed this gene's involvement in disease, making this approach a feasible strategy for the identification of susceptibility genes in this and other complex diseases.
11:45 Reproducible and Inducible Knockdown of Gene Expression in Mice (Genesis May 2006)
Jing Yu, Ph.D., Research Scientist, Andrew McMahon Laboratory, Harvard University
In mammalian cells, vector-based expression of small hairpin RNAs (shRNA) produces potent and stable gene knockdown effects. An inducible RNAi system with reproducible levels of siRNA expression will extend the usefulness of this methodology to the identification of gene functions within the developing or adult mouse. We present evidence that an RNA polymerase III driven U6 promoter with stuffer sequences flanked by loxP sites inserted at three different sites within the promoter drives shRNA expression in a Cre recombinase-dependent manner. We have utilized this approach to develop a generic strategy for the reproducible knockdown of gene expression in mice by placing the inducible shRNA cassette into the ROSA26 locus of the mouse. This approach circumvents the pre-screening of random integration in ES clones and further enables conditional gene knockdown with temporal and/or tissue specificity. This methodology should expedite large-scale functional studies.Technology Watch
12:00 Localized and Systemic In Vivo Delivery of RNAi
Devin Leake, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Biology, Dharmacon
12:30 Lunch in the Exhibit HallRoundtable Buzz Session
Roundtable Buzz Session
2:00
Roundtable: In Vivo Delivery Technology
Moderator: To be Announced
Discussion Points:
Gene Specific Knockdown
Localized and Systemic In Vivo Delivery of RNAi
Comparison of Delivery Methodologies
Roundtable: RNAi Therapeutic Development
Moderator: Kevin Morris, Ph.D., Assistant Processor, Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute
Discussion Points:
Therapeutic Potential of siRNA-mediated Transcriptional Gene Silencing
Delivery Make or Break
Clinical Roadblocks
Roundtable: Target Effects & Other Technical Issues
Moderator: Michele Cleary, Ph.D., Research Fellow, Rosetta Inpharmatics, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Merck and Co.
Discussion Points:
Incorporating Multiple shRNAs into Screening Platforms
siRNA Controls
siRNA Design
Roundtable: Validation of RNAi Knockdown
Moderator: Finbarr Murphy, Ph.D., Managing Director, Drug Discovery, EiRx Therapeutics Ltd.
Discussion Points:
Pro & Cons of Current Methodologies for Functional Validation
Is RT-QPCR the only Realistic High-throughput Method for Measuring Endogenous Message Knockdown?
Some Common Problems Associated with RT-QPCR in High-throughput Screening
How to Relate Message Knockdown with Protein Knockdown?
What Level of Protein Knockdown Reflects Closest the Mode of Action of Drug?
Roundtable: Building Better Disease Models
Moderator: Richard Roman, Ph.D., Founder, PhysioGenix; Head, Renal Center, Medical College of Wisconsin
Discussion Points:
Meeting the Challenges of Reproducing a Human Disease for Drug Discovery
Creating a Consistent System for Evaluating and Comparing the Validity of Disease Models
3:30 Refreshment Break in the Exhibit Hall
EVALUATION OF IN VIVO DELIVERY AND STABILITY SOLUTIONS AVAILABLE
Six or more companies will present their solutions to in vivo delivery and stability in a series of concise presentations. Questions from potential technology end-users from both larger pharma and biotech companies and academic labs will be answered following each talk. Discussions will follow.
4:00 Company One: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Delivery Technology: siRNA design, modifications of siRNA for improved stability, systemic delivery, anti-viral applications
Presenter: TBA, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.
4:20 Company Two: Nastech Pharmaceutical Company Inc.
Delivery Technology: siRNA delivery via intra-nasal, intra-pulmonary and systemic routes, peptide and lipid based delivery, anti-viral applications
Presenter: Paul H. Johnson, Ph. D., Senior Vice President of Research and Development, Chief Scientific Officer, Nastech Pharmaceutical Company Inc.
4:40 Company Three: Atugen AG
Delivery Technology: siRNA design, modifications of siRNA for improved stability, oncology applications
Presenter: Klaus Giese, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, Atugen AG / SR Pharma plc
5:00 Company Four: Artemis Pharmaceuticals GmbH
Delivery Technology: RNAi transgenics (constitutive and inducible)
Presenter: Holger Kissel, PhD., Senior Manager, Scientific Project Management, Artemis Pharmaceuticals-an Exelixis Company
5:20 Company Five: Protiva Biotherapeutics Inc.
Delivery Technology: siRNA Design, Modifications of siRNA for Improved Stability, SNALP Based Delivery
Presenter: Ian Maclachlan, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, Protiva Biotherapeutics Inc.
5:40 Company Six: Sirna Therapeutics, Inc.
Delivery Technology: siRNA design, modifications of siRNA for improved stability, anti-viral (HCV/HBV), dermal applications
Presenter: Barry Polisky, Senior Vice President & CSO, Sirna Therapeutics, Inc.
6:00 End-User Panelists
Moitreyee Chatterjee-Kishore, Ph.D., Inflammation Team Leader, Biological Technologies, Wyeth Research
Joanne Kamens, Ph.D., Group Leader, Molecular & Cellular Biology, Abbott Bioresearch Center
Miles Wilkinson, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Edouard Cantin, Ph.D., Professor and Associate Chairman, Division of Virology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope Medical Center
6:30 In Vivo Networking Reception (Sponsorship Available)
Thursday, October 26
INTEGRATING METHODOLOGIES TO INCREASE EFFICIENCY - THE TARGET VALIDATION TOOL BOX OF TODAY
RNAi had become a very powerful tool in target discovery and validation but is becoming one of the tools in the tool kit rather than the tool of choice. The current overall strategy for validation is to continue to integrate a wide variety of methodologies to increase efficiency. The following group of experts will highlight the tools and technologies they are currently being employed to get the job done and will mention the maturing of RNAi as a technology. Some time will be dedicated to discussing when to use RNAi technology as an entry point for a project or as follow up from another entry point or how to know when it is the not the tool for the job at all! The key to target validation is a platform approach that brings multiple, system relevant approaches to bear in a variety of systematic industrialized approaches. Case Studies will be given by the following experts in the Target Validation arena.
8:30 Chairpersons Remarks
Michael R. Cancilla, Ph.D., Associate Director, Translational Medicine, Exelixis, Inc.
8:40 Target ID & Validation Toolbox Case Study #1:
Mark A. Labow, Ph.D., Executive Director, Platform and Chemical Biology Department, Genome and Proteome Sciences, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research
The changing behavior of cells in health and disease is largely governed by the activation, repression and interaction of signal transduction pathways. We will describe a platform of technologies for systematic gain-of-function and loss-of-function analysis in mammalian cells. The application of these approaches to identification of molecular pathways and individual proteins which regulate disease-related processes will be presented.
9:10 Target ID & Validation Toolbox Case Study #2:
Michele Cleary, Ph.D., Research Fellow, Rosetta Inpharmatics, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Merck and Co.
We have optimized high throughput lentivirus-mediated delivery of short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) for use in screens for novel cancer gene targets. We are using this approach to identify genes whose silencing enhances the effects of existing chemotherapeutic compounds. The hits from our screens are useful in two key ways: First, these genes, or members of their respective pathways, may serve as ideal targets for small molecule inhibitors that could be administered in combination with lower doses of standard chemotherapies. Second, these hits may provide better predictions of patient response to the treatment studied. Along with screening for novel drug targets, we are using vector-mediated RNAi to explore cancer gene networks through microarray profiling. Previously, we reported that transfection of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) can result in the cleavage of unintended targets. Although less prevalent, we find that shRNAs can also result in silencing of transcripts other than that for which the shRNA was designed. We see that such off-target mRNAs are enriched for transcripts containing the shRNA antisense strand equivalents of microRNA seed-region hexamers. This observation suggests that, like siRNAs, shRNAs are not exquisitely specific, and very short regions of homology within a core shRNA sequence are sufficient to produce undesired effects. These results emphasize the need to use multiple RNAi sequences to ensure that observed phenotypes correspond directly to silencing of intended target genes. Because of this, we have incorporated the use of multiple shRNAs into our screening platform.
potatohead - 13 Sep 2006 14:59 - 20 of 28
Infinity Pharmaceuticals Announces Completion of Merger with Discovery Partners International
Wednesday September 13, 8:23 am ET
Conference Call Scheduled for 8:30 a.m. EDT (5:30 a.m. PDT) Thursday, September 14, 2006
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: INFI - News) announced today the completion of its previously announced merger with Discovery Partners International, Inc., or DPI. The newly-combined company will operate as Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Inc. under Infinity's management and will retain no Discovery Partners operations or programs. Infinity begins trading today on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol "INFI." The company will be hosting an investor conference call providing a business overview of the combined company and a discussion of its lead oncology programs on Thursday, September 14, 2006 at 8:30 a.m. EDT (5:30 a.m. PDT).
ADVERTISEMENT
"This merger with Discovery Partners gives Infinity the resources necessary to fully explore and expand the potential of our pipeline," said Steven H. Holtzman, chief executive officer of Infinity. "Infinity has the opportunity to create significant value for both patients and stockholders in the coming years."
"Through DPI's merger with Infinity, former DPI stockholders are benefiting from the value-creation potential of a company dedicated to becoming a leader in oncology drug discovery and development," added Michael C. Venuti, Ph.D., former acting chief executive officer of DPI who will continue as a director of the combined company. "With the financial resources provided in this transaction, we expect that Infinity will be well positioned to drive forward its pipeline of anti-cancer agents, creating both meaningful therapies for patients and substantial value for stockholders."
With the completion of the merger and Infinity's recently-announced collaboration with MedImmune, Inc., Infinity expects to have funds sufficient to support its current operating plan at least through December 31, 2009, in the absence of any new corporate development opportunities or financings.
Infinity's products in development include:
* IPI-504 (Hsp90 inhibitor) -- Infinity's lead novel, proprietary
anti-cancer product candidate has demonstrated in preclinical studies
the ability to potently and selectively inhibit Heat Shock Protein 90
(Hsp90), thereby killing cancer cells. In preclinical studies, IPI-504
has demonstrated broad potential to treat a variety of cancers as both a
single agent as well as in combination with existing anti-cancer drugs.
IPI-504 is currently delivered intravenously in a water-based
formulation and is being evaluated in two disease-focused Phase l
clinical trials in patients with relapsed, refractory multiple myeloma
and relapsed, refractory gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). An oral
formulation of IPI-504 is in preclinical development. On August 28,
2006, Infinity entered into a worldwide alliance with MedImmune, Inc. to
jointly develop and commercialize drugs, including IPI-504, that target
Hsp90. Under the terms of the agreement, Infinity and MedImmune will
share equally the worldwide profits from the successful
commercialization of any products. Infinity also has an option to
co-promote such products in the U.S.
* Hedgehog cell-signaling pathway inhibitors -- The Hedgehog pathway is
normally active during embryonic development regulating tissue and organ
formation. Aberrant activation of the Hedgehog pathway in adults has
been implicated in many of the most deadly cancers. Infinity's Hedgehog
pathway inhibitors are novel, proprietary systemically-administered
agents that have demonstrated in preclinical studies the ability to
potently and selectively inhibit the Hedgehog pathway. Infinity's
Hedgehog pathway program is also being jointly developed and
commercialized under the worldwide alliance with MedImmune, Inc.,
whereby Infinity and MedImmune will share equally the worldwide profits
from the successful commercialization of any products. Infinity also has
an option to co-promote any such products in the U.S.
* Bcl family inhibitors -- The Bcl family of proteins (including Bcl-2 and
Bcl-xL) are key regulators of programmed cell death, or apoptosis.
Infinity's Bcl family inhibitors are currently in preclinical
development for use alone or in combination to sensitize a broad range
of solid tumors to currently available chemotherapeutics. In March 2006,
Infinity entered into an alliance with Novartis to collaboratively
discover, develop, and commercialize drugs targeting Bcl protein family
members for the treatment of a broad range of cancer indications.
Shares Outstanding and Ownership of Infinity
In connection with the merger, DPI effected a 4-to-1 reverse stock split of its common stock. As a result of the merger and the reverse stock split, the combined company has approximately 19.4 million shares issued and outstanding, of which approximately 66% are held by prior Infinity stockholders and approximately 34% are held by DPI stockholders.
Investor Conference Call Details
Infinity has scheduled an investor conference call providing a business overview of the combined company and a discussion of its lead oncology programs on Thursday, September 14, 2006 at 8:30 a.m. EDT (5:30 a.m. PDT). A live webcast of the conference call can be accessed on Infinity's website at http://www.ipi.com. The call can be accessed by dialing 1-800-289-0498 (domestic) or 1-913-981- 5539 (international) five minutes prior to the start time. An archived version of the webcast will be available on Infinity's website for 30 days.
Board of Directors
The combined company's board of directors includes nine members from the former Infinity board of directors and three continuing members from the DPI board of directors. The DPI directors who will continue on the board are Harry Hixson, Jr., Michael Venuti, and Herm Rosenman. The Infinity directors who will serve on the board of the combined company include: Steven Holtzman (Chair), Vicki Sato (lead outside director), Ronald Daniel, Anthony Evnin, Eric Lander, Patrick Lee, Arnold Levine, Frank Moss, and James Tananbaum.
About Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Infinity is an innovative cancer drug discovery and development company that is seeking to leverage its strength in small molecule drug technologies to discover, develop, and deliver to patients first-in-class or best-in-class medicines for the treatment of cancer and related conditions.
Forward Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to be materially different from historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. You are urged to consider statements that include the words "may," "will," "would," "could," "should," "believes," "estimates," "projects," "potential," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "intends," "continues," "forecast," "designed," "goal," or the negative of those words or other comparable words to be uncertain and forward-looking. Such forward-looking statements include statements regarding the expected benefits of the merger of Infinity and DPI for stockholders of the combined company, the expectation that the merger will enable the combined company to be well positioned to drive forward its pipeline of anti-cancer agents and create substantial value for patients and stockholders, and the expectation that the combined company will have cash to support its current operating plan through at least December 31, 2009. Such statements are subject to numerous factors, risks, and uncertainties that may cause actual events or results to differ materially from the combined company's current expectations. For example, there can be no guarantee that any product candidate the combined company is developing will successfully complete necessary preclinical and clinical development phases, be approved for sale in any market or that, if approved, revenues from sales of such product will reach any specific level. In particular, management's expectations could be affected by risks and uncertainties relating to: results of clinical trials and preclinical studies, including subsequent analysis of existing data and new data received from ongoing and future studies; the combined company's dependence on its collaborations with MedImmune and Novartis; the combined company's ability to obtain additional funding required to conduct its research, development, and commercialization activities; unplanned cash requirements and expenditures; and the company's ability to obtain, maintain, and enforce patent and other intellectual property protection for any products it is developing. These and other risks which may impact management's expectations are described in greater detail under the caption "Risk Factors" in DPI's registration statement on Form S-4, as amended, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and DPI's other SEC reports.
Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof and Infinity expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Wednesday September 13, 8:23 am ET
Conference Call Scheduled for 8:30 a.m. EDT (5:30 a.m. PDT) Thursday, September 14, 2006
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: INFI - News) announced today the completion of its previously announced merger with Discovery Partners International, Inc., or DPI. The newly-combined company will operate as Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Inc. under Infinity's management and will retain no Discovery Partners operations or programs. Infinity begins trading today on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol "INFI." The company will be hosting an investor conference call providing a business overview of the combined company and a discussion of its lead oncology programs on Thursday, September 14, 2006 at 8:30 a.m. EDT (5:30 a.m. PDT).
ADVERTISEMENT
"This merger with Discovery Partners gives Infinity the resources necessary to fully explore and expand the potential of our pipeline," said Steven H. Holtzman, chief executive officer of Infinity. "Infinity has the opportunity to create significant value for both patients and stockholders in the coming years."
"Through DPI's merger with Infinity, former DPI stockholders are benefiting from the value-creation potential of a company dedicated to becoming a leader in oncology drug discovery and development," added Michael C. Venuti, Ph.D., former acting chief executive officer of DPI who will continue as a director of the combined company. "With the financial resources provided in this transaction, we expect that Infinity will be well positioned to drive forward its pipeline of anti-cancer agents, creating both meaningful therapies for patients and substantial value for stockholders."
With the completion of the merger and Infinity's recently-announced collaboration with MedImmune, Inc., Infinity expects to have funds sufficient to support its current operating plan at least through December 31, 2009, in the absence of any new corporate development opportunities or financings.
Infinity's products in development include:
* IPI-504 (Hsp90 inhibitor) -- Infinity's lead novel, proprietary
anti-cancer product candidate has demonstrated in preclinical studies
the ability to potently and selectively inhibit Heat Shock Protein 90
(Hsp90), thereby killing cancer cells. In preclinical studies, IPI-504
has demonstrated broad potential to treat a variety of cancers as both a
single agent as well as in combination with existing anti-cancer drugs.
IPI-504 is currently delivered intravenously in a water-based
formulation and is being evaluated in two disease-focused Phase l
clinical trials in patients with relapsed, refractory multiple myeloma
and relapsed, refractory gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). An oral
formulation of IPI-504 is in preclinical development. On August 28,
2006, Infinity entered into a worldwide alliance with MedImmune, Inc. to
jointly develop and commercialize drugs, including IPI-504, that target
Hsp90. Under the terms of the agreement, Infinity and MedImmune will
share equally the worldwide profits from the successful
commercialization of any products. Infinity also has an option to
co-promote such products in the U.S.
* Hedgehog cell-signaling pathway inhibitors -- The Hedgehog pathway is
normally active during embryonic development regulating tissue and organ
formation. Aberrant activation of the Hedgehog pathway in adults has
been implicated in many of the most deadly cancers. Infinity's Hedgehog
pathway inhibitors are novel, proprietary systemically-administered
agents that have demonstrated in preclinical studies the ability to
potently and selectively inhibit the Hedgehog pathway. Infinity's
Hedgehog pathway program is also being jointly developed and
commercialized under the worldwide alliance with MedImmune, Inc.,
whereby Infinity and MedImmune will share equally the worldwide profits
from the successful commercialization of any products. Infinity also has
an option to co-promote any such products in the U.S.
* Bcl family inhibitors -- The Bcl family of proteins (including Bcl-2 and
Bcl-xL) are key regulators of programmed cell death, or apoptosis.
Infinity's Bcl family inhibitors are currently in preclinical
development for use alone or in combination to sensitize a broad range
of solid tumors to currently available chemotherapeutics. In March 2006,
Infinity entered into an alliance with Novartis to collaboratively
discover, develop, and commercialize drugs targeting Bcl protein family
members for the treatment of a broad range of cancer indications.
Shares Outstanding and Ownership of Infinity
In connection with the merger, DPI effected a 4-to-1 reverse stock split of its common stock. As a result of the merger and the reverse stock split, the combined company has approximately 19.4 million shares issued and outstanding, of which approximately 66% are held by prior Infinity stockholders and approximately 34% are held by DPI stockholders.
Investor Conference Call Details
Infinity has scheduled an investor conference call providing a business overview of the combined company and a discussion of its lead oncology programs on Thursday, September 14, 2006 at 8:30 a.m. EDT (5:30 a.m. PDT). A live webcast of the conference call can be accessed on Infinity's website at http://www.ipi.com. The call can be accessed by dialing 1-800-289-0498 (domestic) or 1-913-981- 5539 (international) five minutes prior to the start time. An archived version of the webcast will be available on Infinity's website for 30 days.
Board of Directors
The combined company's board of directors includes nine members from the former Infinity board of directors and three continuing members from the DPI board of directors. The DPI directors who will continue on the board are Harry Hixson, Jr., Michael Venuti, and Herm Rosenman. The Infinity directors who will serve on the board of the combined company include: Steven Holtzman (Chair), Vicki Sato (lead outside director), Ronald Daniel, Anthony Evnin, Eric Lander, Patrick Lee, Arnold Levine, Frank Moss, and James Tananbaum.
About Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Infinity is an innovative cancer drug discovery and development company that is seeking to leverage its strength in small molecule drug technologies to discover, develop, and deliver to patients first-in-class or best-in-class medicines for the treatment of cancer and related conditions.
Forward Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to be materially different from historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. You are urged to consider statements that include the words "may," "will," "would," "could," "should," "believes," "estimates," "projects," "potential," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "intends," "continues," "forecast," "designed," "goal," or the negative of those words or other comparable words to be uncertain and forward-looking. Such forward-looking statements include statements regarding the expected benefits of the merger of Infinity and DPI for stockholders of the combined company, the expectation that the merger will enable the combined company to be well positioned to drive forward its pipeline of anti-cancer agents and create substantial value for patients and stockholders, and the expectation that the combined company will have cash to support its current operating plan through at least December 31, 2009. Such statements are subject to numerous factors, risks, and uncertainties that may cause actual events or results to differ materially from the combined company's current expectations. For example, there can be no guarantee that any product candidate the combined company is developing will successfully complete necessary preclinical and clinical development phases, be approved for sale in any market or that, if approved, revenues from sales of such product will reach any specific level. In particular, management's expectations could be affected by risks and uncertainties relating to: results of clinical trials and preclinical studies, including subsequent analysis of existing data and new data received from ongoing and future studies; the combined company's dependence on its collaborations with MedImmune and Novartis; the combined company's ability to obtain additional funding required to conduct its research, development, and commercialization activities; unplanned cash requirements and expenditures; and the company's ability to obtain, maintain, and enforce patent and other intellectual property protection for any products it is developing. These and other risks which may impact management's expectations are described in greater detail under the caption "Risk Factors" in DPI's registration statement on Form S-4, as amended, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and DPI's other SEC reports.
Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof and Infinity expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
driver
- 13 Sep 2006 20:28
- 21 of 28
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seawallwalker
- 13 Sep 2006 23:56
- 22 of 28
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potatohead - 14 Sep 2006 10:07 - 23 of 28
Discovery on Target 2006
..................................................................................................................................
Dr. Finbarr Murphy, Managing Director, EiRx Therapeutics Ltd. is attending Discovery on Target 2006 in Boston from October 23-26, 2006 at the World Trade Center, Boston, MA, USA.
Dr. Murphy will take part in the Roundtable Buzz Session on Wednesday 25th and will also speak on "siRNA and the Problem of Getting What You Want" on Thursday 26th @ 11.35am.
For immediate release
6 September 2005
EIRX THERAPEUTICS PLC
("EiRx" or "THE COMPANY")
PRESENTATION TO BIOJAPAN INDUSTRY CONFERENCE
Cork, Ireland, 6th September 2005 On 7th September, Dr Colin Telfer, Group Chief Operating Officer at EiRx, is to present EiRx Therapeutics product pipeline and recent successes at the BioJapan World Business Forum, the Japanese pharmaceutical industrys prestigious annual conference being held this year in Yokohama.
Dr Telfer, who was recently appointed Group Chief Operating Officer, will address the conference at the invitation of the UK BioIndustry Association, as part of a seminar showcasing the UKs leading position in cancer drug discovery. His talk will include the first public account of the development of EiRxs EnPADTM drug screening technology and the discovery of new cancer drug candidates recently announced by the company. A copy of the presentation will be viewable on the companys website www.eirx.com.
Other UK companies presenting at the seminar include Antisoma and Oxford BioMedica, and a keynote speech will be given by Professor Paul Workman, Director of Cancer Research UKs Centre for Cancer Therapeutics.
Dr Telfer will also present EiRxs research and collaboration activities to an audience of industry executives in Osaka, and attend business partnering meetings with potential alliance partners in Tokyo.
Commenting on his upcoming activities, Dr Telfer said: The BIAs invitation demonstrates a clear recognition of the potential value of EiRxs contribution to current cancer drug research. I also hope to build relationships with our colleagues in the Japanese pharmaceutical industry, who represent the worlds second largest market for modern medicines.
For further information, please contact:
EiRx Therapeutics plc
John Pool, Chairman
01260 226529
Buchanan Communications
Tim Anderson / Mark Court / Mary-Jane Johnson
020 7466 5000
..................................................................................................................................
Dr. Finbarr Murphy, Managing Director, EiRx Therapeutics Ltd. is attending Discovery on Target 2006 in Boston from October 23-26, 2006 at the World Trade Center, Boston, MA, USA.
Dr. Murphy will take part in the Roundtable Buzz Session on Wednesday 25th and will also speak on "siRNA and the Problem of Getting What You Want" on Thursday 26th @ 11.35am.
For immediate release
6 September 2005
EIRX THERAPEUTICS PLC
("EiRx" or "THE COMPANY")
PRESENTATION TO BIOJAPAN INDUSTRY CONFERENCE
Cork, Ireland, 6th September 2005 On 7th September, Dr Colin Telfer, Group Chief Operating Officer at EiRx, is to present EiRx Therapeutics product pipeline and recent successes at the BioJapan World Business Forum, the Japanese pharmaceutical industrys prestigious annual conference being held this year in Yokohama.
Dr Telfer, who was recently appointed Group Chief Operating Officer, will address the conference at the invitation of the UK BioIndustry Association, as part of a seminar showcasing the UKs leading position in cancer drug discovery. His talk will include the first public account of the development of EiRxs EnPADTM drug screening technology and the discovery of new cancer drug candidates recently announced by the company. A copy of the presentation will be viewable on the companys website www.eirx.com.
Other UK companies presenting at the seminar include Antisoma and Oxford BioMedica, and a keynote speech will be given by Professor Paul Workman, Director of Cancer Research UKs Centre for Cancer Therapeutics.
Dr Telfer will also present EiRxs research and collaboration activities to an audience of industry executives in Osaka, and attend business partnering meetings with potential alliance partners in Tokyo.
Commenting on his upcoming activities, Dr Telfer said: The BIAs invitation demonstrates a clear recognition of the potential value of EiRxs contribution to current cancer drug research. I also hope to build relationships with our colleagues in the Japanese pharmaceutical industry, who represent the worlds second largest market for modern medicines.
For further information, please contact:
EiRx Therapeutics plc
John Pool, Chairman
01260 226529
Buchanan Communications
Tim Anderson / Mark Court / Mary-Jane Johnson
020 7466 5000
potatohead - 14 Sep 2006 10:09 - 24 of 28
6th September
Dr Telfer will also present EiRxs research and collaboration activities to an audience of industry executives in Osaka, and attend business partnering meetings with potential alliance partners in Tokyo.
Dr Telfer will also present EiRxs research and collaboration activities to an audience of industry executives in Osaka, and attend business partnering meetings with potential alliance partners in Tokyo.
potatohead - 14 Sep 2006 10:15 - 25 of 28
Ethnicity And Cancer Susceptibility
Main Category: Cancer / Oncology News
Article Date: 12 Sep 2006 - 22:00pm (PDT)
| email this article | printer friendly | view opinions | Article Also Appears In
Genetics
Researchers from the UCL Branch of the global Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (LICR) have uncovered how a genetic variation present in ethnic groups from around the equator may influence cancer susceptibility. The findings published in Nature Genetics have implications for pharmacogenetics, the study of how inherited variations may affect drug metabolism and response, and present a target for future 'designer' cancer therapies.
The p53 tumor-suppressor protein removes damaged cells by a programmed cell death (apoptosis). When the p53 gene is mutated - as it is in approximately half of all human cancers - damaged cells do not die, but rather continue to grow and divide and eventually form a tumor. The two most common polymorphic forms of p53 are p53Pro72 and p53Arg72 and the distribution varies in different ethnic groups. The two forms differ by just one amino acid in the protein sequence. Several years ago, the LICR team discovered that the ability of p53 to control apoptosis is regulated by the ASPP family of proteins.
In this study, the investigators showed that the ASPP family preferentially regulates the p53Pro72 over p53Arg72 form. These results suggest that ASPP protein levels determine cancer susceptibility in people with the p53Pro72 form, the prevalence of which is linked closely to latitude.
According to Professor Xin Lu, the senior author of the study and Director of the LICR Branch, the occurrence of the p53Pro72 form is highest in ethnic populations from around the equator. "It's really interesting to speculate whether the increased exposure to DNA-damaging ultraviolet radiation has resulted in the need for a second level of p53-regulation. The results are important for furthering our understanding of how p53, the tumor suppressor, is regulated, and also offers intriguing hints about how these regulatory mechanisms might have evolved."
While speculations about how the mechanism evolved are largely academic at this stage, Professor Lu says the findings have practical applications for future cancer therapies and the growing field of pharmacogenetics. "It's not hard to imagine a scenario in the future where we might examine the p53 sequence of a cancer patient as part of tailoring an individualized therapeutic strategy. If the patient has p53Pro72, then she might get a specific therapy that alters ASPP protein levels to re-activate p53's anti-cancer function. If the patient has p53Arg72, we know the therapy would be less effective."
Main Category: Cancer / Oncology News
Article Date: 12 Sep 2006 - 22:00pm (PDT)
| email this article | printer friendly | view opinions | Article Also Appears In
Genetics
Researchers from the UCL Branch of the global Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (LICR) have uncovered how a genetic variation present in ethnic groups from around the equator may influence cancer susceptibility. The findings published in Nature Genetics have implications for pharmacogenetics, the study of how inherited variations may affect drug metabolism and response, and present a target for future 'designer' cancer therapies.
The p53 tumor-suppressor protein removes damaged cells by a programmed cell death (apoptosis). When the p53 gene is mutated - as it is in approximately half of all human cancers - damaged cells do not die, but rather continue to grow and divide and eventually form a tumor. The two most common polymorphic forms of p53 are p53Pro72 and p53Arg72 and the distribution varies in different ethnic groups. The two forms differ by just one amino acid in the protein sequence. Several years ago, the LICR team discovered that the ability of p53 to control apoptosis is regulated by the ASPP family of proteins.
In this study, the investigators showed that the ASPP family preferentially regulates the p53Pro72 over p53Arg72 form. These results suggest that ASPP protein levels determine cancer susceptibility in people with the p53Pro72 form, the prevalence of which is linked closely to latitude.
According to Professor Xin Lu, the senior author of the study and Director of the LICR Branch, the occurrence of the p53Pro72 form is highest in ethnic populations from around the equator. "It's really interesting to speculate whether the increased exposure to DNA-damaging ultraviolet radiation has resulted in the need for a second level of p53-regulation. The results are important for furthering our understanding of how p53, the tumor suppressor, is regulated, and also offers intriguing hints about how these regulatory mechanisms might have evolved."
While speculations about how the mechanism evolved are largely academic at this stage, Professor Lu says the findings have practical applications for future cancer therapies and the growing field of pharmacogenetics. "It's not hard to imagine a scenario in the future where we might examine the p53 sequence of a cancer patient as part of tailoring an individualized therapeutic strategy. If the patient has p53Pro72, then she might get a specific therapy that alters ASPP protein levels to re-activate p53's anti-cancer function. If the patient has p53Arg72, we know the therapy would be less effective."
potatohead - 14 Sep 2006 10:22 - 26 of 28
http://www.pipelinereview.com/joomla/content/view/6361/104/
Discovery on Target 2006
..................................................................................................................................
Dr. Finbarr Murphy, Managing Director, EiRx Therapeutics Ltd. is attending Discovery on Target 2006 in Boston from October 23-26, 2006 at the World Trade Center, Boston, MA, USA.
Dr. Murphy will take part in the Roundtable Buzz Session on Wednesday 25th and will also speak on "siRNA and the Problem of Getting What You Want" on Thursday 26th @ 11.35am.
read the link, its all about this
Discovery on Target 2006
..................................................................................................................................
Dr. Finbarr Murphy, Managing Director, EiRx Therapeutics Ltd. is attending Discovery on Target 2006 in Boston from October 23-26, 2006 at the World Trade Center, Boston, MA, USA.
Dr. Murphy will take part in the Roundtable Buzz Session on Wednesday 25th and will also speak on "siRNA and the Problem of Getting What You Want" on Thursday 26th @ 11.35am.
read the link, its all about this
moneyplus
- 14 Sep 2006 11:29
- 27 of 28
What we want now are upfront payments and a large deal!!
potatohead - 16 Oct 2006 12:56 - 28 of 28
MGI phara results out wednesday news on milestone payment to ERX expected for its trial of ZYC300
MGI Pharma
----------
http://www.eirx.com/eirx_heading_images/Vaccine%20Antigens%20v2.0.pdf#search=%22mgi%20pharma%20zyc300%22
http://www.mgipharma.com/
MGI Pharma
----------
http://www.eirx.com/eirx_heading_images/Vaccine%20Antigens%20v2.0.pdf#search=%22mgi%20pharma%20zyc300%22
http://www.mgipharma.com/
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