Thursday September 20, 8:32 am Eastern Time
Press Release
SOURCE: 3-Dimensional Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
3-Dimensional Pharmaceuticals Receives Patent
Protection For Novel Protease Inhibitors Associated
With Blood Clotting
Compounds Show Promise for the Effective Disease Management of
Stroke and Heart Attack
EXTON, Pa., Sept. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- 3-Dimensional Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:
DDDP - news) today announced the issuance of U.S. Patent No. 6,245,763 providing the
drug discovery and development company with broad intellectual property protection for
two novel classes of protease inhibitors associated with the blood clotting process.
This new patent entitled ``Heteroaryl Aminoguanidines and Alkoxyguanidines and their Use
as Protease Inhibitors'' surrounds the use of these chemical compounds as effective inhibitors
of trypsin-like serine protease enzymes. In particular, these novel protease inhibitors are
shown to inhibit the enzyme thrombin, which plays a critical role in the blood clotting process.
Thrombin inhibitors have the potential to give rise to new orally available treatments for
cardiovascular disease.
The process of blood coagulation consists of a cascade of biochemical reactions resulting in
the formation of a clot, which functions to limit blood loss. When a blood clot or thrombus
formation occurs in a blood vessel, it can become lodged, blocking the flow of blood and
nutrients to nearby tissues. This forms the basis of several severe, and often life-threatening
conditions, including heart attack, stroke and deep vein thrombosis. Drugs that inhibit the
clotting cascade therefore have important applications in the prevention of these conditions.
3DP (http://www.3dp.com) is an integrated bio-pharmaceuticals company dedicated to
revolutionizing small molecule drug discovery and development. 3DP's proprietary platform,
DiscoverWorks®, can be applied to virtually any potential drug target. It produces drug
candidates suitable for development faster, with fewer resources and a higher probability of
success than using conventional drug discovery methods. 3DP is developing its own drug
pipeline and collaborates with other pharmaceutical companies in discovery and
development.
Statements in this press release that are not strictly historical are ``forward-looking'' statements that involve a high degree of risk
and uncertainty. Such statements are only predictions, and the actual events or results may differ materially from those
projected in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to differences include, but are not limited
to, risks associated with our new and uncertain technologies, clinical trials and product development, the long and arduous
process of obtaining regulatory approvals, our dependence on existing strategic alliances, our dependence on patents and
proprietary rights, our ability to protect and enforce our patents and proprietary rights, the development and availability of
competitive products or technologies and our ability to attract and retain talented employees and to manage our expansion.
These risks and uncertainties are discussed in the section of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission entitled ``Factors Affecting the Company's Prospects.''
SOURCE: 3-Dimensional Pharmaceuticals, Inc. |
