PharmAthene's Recombinant Butyrylcholinesterase (rBChE) Program the Subject of Promising New Alzheimer's Research
03 4월 2007 - 10:00PM
PR Newswire (US)
In Vitro Assays Show rBChE Suppresses Amyloid Plaque Formation
ANNAPOLIS, Md., April 3 /PRNewswire/ -- PharmAthene, Inc., a
leading biodefense company specializing in the development and
commercialization of medical countermeasures against chemical and
biological terrorism, announced today that new data from its
recombinant butyrylcholinesterase (rBChE) research program were
recently presented at the 8th International Conference on
Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases in Salzburg, Austria. New
research conducted by Dr. Hermona Soreq and co-workers at the
Alexander Silberman Life Sciences Institute at The Hebrew
University of Jerusalem, in collaboration with PharmAthene,
examined the role of recombinant butyrylcholinesterase (rBChE) in
the formation of amyloid plaques, which are believed to play a
crucial role in the development of Alzheimer's disease. The data
presented by Drs. Soreq and Langermann, Vice President and Chief
Scientific Officer for PharmAthene, show that rBChE can effectively
block the formation of amyloid fibrils, precursors to plaque
formation in the brain, potentially attenuating neurotoxicity.
These data were substantiated by transmission electron microscopy
studies, which showed that rBChE dramatically suppressed the
formation of fibrils, resulting in thinner and less branched
filaments than would normally occur in patients with Alzheimer's
disease. Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative
disease, which is estimated to affect more than 4.5 million
Americans. One of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease is the
accumulation of excessive amyloid plaques in areas of the brain
that control memory and cognition. Amyloid fibrils are believed to
be neurotoxic and interfere with the normal communication between
neurons. A growing body of scientific evidence suggests that the
accumulation of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the
brain may play an important role in the development and progression
of Alzheimer's disease. "The role of amyloid plaques in the
pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease is well documented, and a
number of approaches have been studied which attempt to block their
formation by interfering at critical stages in this complex
pathway," commented Hermona Soreq, Ph.D., Professor of Molecular
Biology and Dean of Sciences at The Hebrew University. "Our
preliminary results are especially intriguing as they suggest that
rBChE is effective not only in inhibiting plaque formation, but
also in potentially attenuating neurotoxicity. Examination of
formed fibrils using a newly-developed, computer-aided and
quantified electron microscopy method revealed that rBChE
dramatically suppressed the formation of intermediary fibrils in
the incubated mixtures which resulted in significantly fewer
fibrils that were thinner and less branched than those formed
without addition of rBChE. Fibril initiation is believed to be a
precursor to amyloid plaque development. Together these results
provide compelling evidence that rBChE serves as a natural
protector against amyloid toxicity and support the development of
rBChE as a therapeutic agent for patients with Alzheimer's
disease." "Unlike human plasma-derived butyrylcholinesterase
(HuBChE), which can only be produced in limited quantities,
PharmAthene's rBChE is developed using a proprietary production
system which enables large scale commercial production," commented
Dr. Solomon Langermann, Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer
for PharmAthene. "We are currently evaluating rBChE for the
prevention and treatment of nerve agent toxicity and have obtained
very promising results showing that rBChE provides enhanced
survival without neurological impairment after exposure to nerve
agents. To further this research, PharmAthene was recently awarded
a contract from the Department of Defense for up to $213 million to
support advanced development of rBChE." Dr. Langermann continued,
"These recent data suggest a promising new potential therapeutic
application for rBChE, which we intend to explore further. Our next
steps, in collaboration with Dr. Soreq and her group, will include
evaluating rBChE in animal models of Alzheimer's disease. If the
results continue to be encouraging, then it would allow us to
expand applications of rBChE therapy to areas other than nerve
agent toxicity resulting in broader commercial applications with
important benefits to society." The work conducted under the
Alzheimer's research program is based on a patent owned by Yissum
(the technology transfer company of The Hebrew University of
Jerusalem), entitled "Human BChE Variants as Protectors from
Amyloid Diseases," which has been licensed to PharmAthene. About
Protexia(R): Recombinant Human Butyrylcholinesterase (rBChE)
Protexia is a form of recombinant human butyrylcholinesterase
(rBChE), a potent organophosphorus (OP) scavenger protein produced
in the milk of transgenic goats, which is being developed for use
as a prophylactic against acute organophosphorus (OP) nerve agent
toxicity. Preclinical research conducted by PharmAthene's
development partners, the US Army Medical Research Institute of
Chemical Defense (USAMRICD) and DRDC Suffield, Defence Research and
Development Canada, have demonstrated the capability of Protexia to
protect laboratory animals from the toxic effects of chemical nerve
agents. In these studies, pre-treatment with rBChE provided 100%
survival against the nerve agents VX and soman. In post-exposure
therapeutic studies, administration of rBChE following nerve agent
exposure resulted in enhanced survival compared to control animals.
While the utility of BChE to protect against nerve agent exposure
is well documented, a major limitation in its development has been
the inability to produce it in commercial volumes due to limited
raw material availability, low levels of the enzyme in blood, and
low production yields using traditional biotechnology methods. To
overcome these limitations, PharmAthene has developed a recombinant
form of human BChE, (rBChE), utilizing transgenic expression in
goats which enables substantially higher production yields.
PharmAthene believes that its transgenic technology will have the
capacity to produce sufficient rBChE for both military and civilian
defense. About PharmAthene, Inc. PharmAthene, a privately-held
biotechnology company, was formed to meet the critical needs of the
United States by developing biodefense products. PharmAthene is
dedicated to the rapid development of important and novel
biotherapeutics to address biological pathogens and chemicals that
may be used as weapons of bioterror. PharmAthene's lead programs
include Valortim(TM) for the prevention and treatment of anthrax
infection and Protexia(R) for the prevention and treatment of
morbidity and mortality associated with exposure to chemical nerve
agents. For more information on PharmAthene, please visit
http://www.pharmathene.com/. In January 2007, PharmAthene announced
that it had signed a definitive merger agreement with Healthcare
Acquisition Corp. (AMEX:HAQ). HAQ has filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission a preliminary proxy statement in connection
with the proposed merger transaction involving PharmAthene. HAQ AND
ITS DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AS WELL AS PHARMATHENE AND ITS
DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS MAY BE DEEMED TO BE PARTICIPANTS
IN THE SOLICIATION OF PROXIES FOR THE SPECIAL MEETING OF HAQ'S
STOCKHOLDERS TO BE HELD TO APPROVE THE PROPOSED MERGER.
SECURITYHOLDERS AND OTHER INTERESTED PERSONS ARE URGED TO READ THE
PRELIMINARY PROXY STATEMENT REGARDING THE PROPOSED MERGER FILED
WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON FEBRUARY 9, 2007 AND
THE AMENDMENTS THEREOF AND THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT AS SUCH
DOCUMENTS BECOME AVAILABLE AS THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT
INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED MERGER. HAQ'S DEFINITIVE PROXY
STATEMENT, WHEN AVAILABLE, WILL BE MAILED TO HAQ'S STOCKHOLDERS AS
OF A RECORD DATE TO BE ESTABLISHED FOR VOTING ON THE PROPOSED
MERGER. STOCKHOLDERS WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO OBTAIN A COPY OF THE
DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT, WITHOUT CHARGE, BY DIRECTING A REQUEST
TO HAQ AT: 2116 FINANCIAL CENTER, 666 WALNUT STREET, DES MOINES,
IOWA 50309. THE PRELIMINARY PROXY STATEMENT AND DEFINITIVE PROXY
STATEMENT, ONCE AVAILABLE, AND THE FINAL PROSPECTUS AND OTHER SEC
FILINGS OF HAQ CAN ALSO BE OBTAINED, WITHOUT CHARGE, AT THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION'S INTERNET SITE
(http://www.sec.gov/). HAQ AND PHARMATHENE CLAIM THE PROTECTION OF
THE SAFE HARBOR FOR "FORWARD- LOOKING STATEMENTS" WITHIN THE
MEANING OF THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS ARE STATEMENTS THAT ARE NOT HISTORICAL
FACTS. SUCH FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS, BASED UPON THE CURRENT
BELIEFS AND EXPECTATIONS OF MANAGEMENT OF HAQ AND PHARMATHENE
REGARDING, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE BUSINESS OF PHARMATHENE AND THE
MERGER, ARE SUBJECT TO RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES, WHICH COULD CAUSE
ACTUAL RESULTS TO DIFFER FROM THE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. About
Yissum R&D Ltd. Yissum is the technology transfer company of
the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU). It is responsible for
marketing the inventions and know-how generated by the University's
renowned researchers and students. The University's range of
intellectual property includes inventions and know-how in many
fields, including nanotechnology, medicine and pharmaceuticals,
agriculture and nutrition, water and environmental technologies,
computer science, homeland security and more. Working closely with
HU researchers and staff, Yissum actively focuses on making these
technologies commercially viable -- and desirable, in the
marketplace. DATASOURCE: PharmAthene, Inc. CONTACT: Stacey
Jurchison, Director, Corporate Communications of PharmAthene, Inc.,
+1-410-571-8925, Cell: +1-410-474-8200, Web site:
http://www.pharmathene.com/
Copyright
Healthcare Acquisition (AMEX:HAQ)
과거 데이터 주식 차트
부터 5월(5) 2024 으로 6월(6) 2024
Healthcare Acquisition (AMEX:HAQ)
과거 데이터 주식 차트
부터 6월(6) 2023 으로 6월(6) 2024