Charles,
Thanks for the post.
I remember when you introduced ICOS, icos.com , to this board almost 4 years ago. They are also conducting research on PDE inhibitors. This is what they have to say:
RESEARCH
"...IC351 is an example of how knowledge of over 50 distinct phosphodiesterase enzymes was leveraged to produce a drug with a very favorable selectivity profile. This theme continues with the PDE type 4 inhibitors, discovered by ICOS scientists, that are potent, highly selective and, importantly, may lack the side effects of vomiting and sedation. These untoward effects have, in the past, limited the utility of drugs against PDE4. Our PDE4 product candidates, currently in preclinical tests, have demonstrated inhibition of production of tumor necrosis factor. This mechanism of action has been proven effective for rheumatoid arthritis - which is one potential application for these molecules... "
From the following paragraphs it looks like their program is at the same level as IZP's. Best of luck to IZP in 2000.
PDE Selective Inhibitors
status: preclinical
primary indication:
inflammatory diseases
ICOS scientists recognize the importance of phosphodiesterases, (PDEs), a family of enzymes that degrade intracellular second messengers, called cyclic nucleotides. Basic research demonstrated that inhibitors of the type 4 PDE (PDE4) increase cAMP, a cyclic nucleotide, and attenuate cellular responses in many proinflammatory cell types. ICOS has a number of potent PDE4-selective inhibitors currently being evaluated in various disease models of inflammation.
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