Wednesday June 27, 7:03 am Eastern Time
Press Release
SOURCE: VistaGen, Inc.
VistaGen Awarded NIH Research Grant for Use of its
Stem Cell Technologies In Development of
Anti-Cancer Drugs
BURLINGAME, Calif., June 27 /PRNewswire/ -- VistaGen, Inc., a privately held biotechnology company focused on in vitro
applications of stem cells for drug discovery and development, announced today that the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH)
has awarded the company a $219,000 Phase 1 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant entitled ``In Vitro Stem Cell
Assay for Anti-Cancer Drug Toxicology Assessment.'' The new grant, the company's second grant from the NIH, will further
enhance the company's on-going efforts to develop and commercialize stem cell biology used in combination with gene and protein
expression technologies. In ways never before possible, VistaGen's proprietary stem cell assays offer drug companies more
clinically relevant and cost-effective techniques to predict the safety and efficacy of new drug candidates at the earliest stages of
drug development.
Dr. Ralph Snodgrass, President and CEO of VistaGen, said, ``We are extremely gratified to receive this second NIH grant for our
stem cell technologies. It is a continuing indication of how seriously the NIH regards the potential drug discovery and drug
development benefits of VistaGen's stem cell platform, including increased efficiency and reduced costs of drug development.''
In the study covered by the new grant, VistaGen scientists will evaluate known anti-cancer drugs for their effects on the in vitro
growth and differentiation of murine stem cells. By measuring incremental changes in levels of protein expression, VistaGen
scientists expect to be able to identify and recognize important surrogate markers of human toxicity. The study is expected to
complement VistaGen's ongoing work with two of its large pharmaceutical company partners, Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline.
VistaGen, Inc., a private biotechnology company located in Burlingame, California, USA, is one of the global leaders in the in vitro
applications of stem cell technologies for drug discovery and development. VistaGen's portfolio of proprietary stem cell
technologies and information products are beginning to be used in the pharmaceutical industry to accelerate drug development
across several therapeutic areas in ways never before possible. VistaGen's internal drug discovery and development programs will
focus on cancer, cardiovascular disease and central nervous system disorders. Additional corporate information from VistaGen is
available on the Internet at www.vistagen-inc.com.
SOURCE: VistaGen, Inc. |
