Monday October 22, 12:02 am Eastern Time
Press Release
SOURCE: Axiom Biotechnologies Inc.
Axiom Awarded U.S. Patent for Addressing Difficult
Disease Tragets
SAN DIEGO--(BW HealthWire)--Oct. 22, 2001--Axiom Biotechnologies today announced
that it had been issued a U.S. patent 6,287,758 for methods relating to measurements of cell
membrane electric potential in single cells or in cell populations. The patent will expand the
Company's patent portofolio by protecting Axiom's ability to address many disease targets
that are not readily accessible by other drug discovery methods.
``Many important disease targets for drug development, such as ion channels and cell
membrane receptors, induce changes in cell membrane potential when they interact with
compounds. The ability to measure such changes in membrane potential very fast and with
great sensitivity to observe these changes in single cells will allow Axiom to rapidly identify
better drug candidates,'' said Pandi Veerapandian, President and CEO. ``We are very
pleased to protect and extend the scope of our cell-based assays, which constitute an integral
part of our physiogenomics drug discovery platform.''
The title of the issued U.S. patent is ``Methods for Registering Trans-Membrane Electric
Potentials,'' and it is a continuation of Axiom's earlier patents. The approach covered by this
patent makes possible the use of membrane potential measurements in high-throughput drug
screening against particular molecular targets or in cytotoxicity and side-effect liability profiling
of drug candidates. One of many useful applications of this method is screening of compounds
and drug candidates for side-effect liability against so-called HERG channel, an assay
suggested by the FDA for all drug candidates that enter clinical trials.
Axiom Biotechnologies is a privately-held company focused on the rapid discovery of more
effective and safer therapeutics through the innovative use of human cells. Axiom developed a
unique physiogenomics platform for discovering drugs that have better properties in humans,
and that are more likely to succeed in clinical trials. The physiogenomics platform is based on
human cell-based technologies for target validation and drug screening and profiling. The
Company has internal discovery programs in gastroesophageal reflux disease, obesity and
oncology, and is currently involved in several drug discovery collaborations built around
specific classes of disease targets.
Contact:
Axiom Biotechnologies Inc.
Michael Kozlowski, Ph.D., Chief Operating Officer
858/455-4500, Fax: 858/455-4501
mikek@axiombio.com
axiombio.com |
