Milestone transition in Astex Alzheimer’s Disease collaboration with AstraZeneca

25 October 2010 - Astex Therapeutics, the UK based biotechnology company developing targeted therapies for oncology and virology, announced that AstraZeneca has selected a candidate drug from its collaborative drug discovery programme aimed at identifying novel, small molecule inhibitors of beta-secretase - a key enzyme implicated in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. The selection of a candidate drug triggers a milestone payment to Astex which, under the terms of agreement, is eligible also to receive further milestones during clinical development and royalties on commercialisation of products derived from the collaboration. Financial details were not disclosed.

In the collaboration, Astex applied its fragment based drug discovery approach, Pyramid™, to identify novel lead compounds inhibiting the target. AstraZeneca is responsible for progressing the selected candidate drug through clinical development and eventually onto the market... Astex Therapeutics' Press Release -

Metabolon : Biochemical Understanding of Alzheimers Disease

October 13, 2010 — Metabolon, Inc., leaders in global metabolomics, biomarker discovery and biochemical analysis, announces the publication of “Ablation of the Locus Coeruleus (LC) Increases Oxidative Stress in Tg-2576 Transgenic But Not Wild-type Mice” in the International Journal of Alzheimer Disease. The paper examines the role of the LC on markers of oxidative stress in transgenic mice and was carried out as a collaboration among scientists at Pfizer, Proteostasis Therapeutics, the University of Dundee, Duke University and Metabolon. The paper is co-authored by Orest Hurko, Kurt Boudonck, Cathleen Gonzalez, J. Steve Jacobsen, Peter H. Reinhart, Crowther Daniel, Zoe A. Hughes.

Previous research in this area suggested that differences in inflammatory response observed in humans with Alzheimer disease and mouse models reflect a discrepancy in the state of the LC, the major site of norepinephrine synthesis in the brain. LC degeneration is an early change in human Alzheimer disease, but it is preserved in transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer disease... Metabolon's Press Release -

Star Scientific : Roskamp Institute's Plans to Conduct Human Alzheimer's Clinical Trials Using a Compound (RCP-006) Developed by Rock Creek Pharma...

Oct 07, 2010 - Star Scientific, Inc. (Nasdaq: CIGX) has issued the following comment by Paul L. Perito, Rock Creek Pharmaceuticals' Chairman and CEO:
"We are gratified that the Roskamp Institute, a highly credentialed scientific foundation, has made a significant medical discovery that we believe holds the potential for creating a therapy that could play a role in alleviating the scourge of Alzheimer's Disease. We are equally grateful that our talented scientific and medical team, inspired by the creativity of our parent company's founder, Jonnie R. Williams, has developed a compound, RCP-006, which the Roskamp Institute believes merits human clinical trials. We trust that these trials will determine the effectiveness of RCP-006 in treating this debilitating disease... Star Scientific's Press Release -

Roche and reMYND's DDD : strategic alliance to develop first-in-class disease-modifying treatments for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease

07-09-2010 - Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) and reMYND announced that they have entered into an agreement to develop novel therapeutics that could slow down neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s patients by inhibiting α-synuclein and tau toxicity.

The collaboration will focus on two of reMYND’s pre-clinical small molecule programmes targeting α-synuclein and tau related pathologies in appropriate model systems as well as potential back-up classes. Roche and reMYND will form joint teams to progress the programmes towards clinical studies. Roche will provide input into chemistry, lead-optimisation and pre-clinical development, while reMYND will continue to conduct non-clinical pharmacology studies and further elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. Roche will be responsible for all clinical development and worldwide commercialisation.

reMYND’s compounds are unique because they inhibit α-synuclein neurotoxicity in Parkinson's disease and tau neurotoxicity in Alzheimer's disease. As such they are considered disease modifying, whilst most currently available treatments only treat the symptoms of the disease... reMYND's Press Release -