THE WOODLANDS, Texas, Nov. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Lexicon Genetics Incorporated (Nasdaq: LEXG - News) announced today it has discovered a novel target for the development of drugs to reduce formation of blood clots without increasing bleeding, a common side effect of current therapies such as aspirin that are used to reduce the risk of heart attacks.
Lexicon scientists discovered that inhibiting the enzyme, designated LG101, in mice resulted in a 60 percent reduction in blood clot formation with no observable, undesirable side effects. Lexicon has advanced LG101 into its pharmaceutical division to develop drugs to prevent thrombosis, a major cause of heart attacks and strokes, particularly in patients with atherosclerosis.
The American Heart Association estimates that 1.1 million Americans will have a heart attack this year and another 600,000 will suffer a stroke. Thrombosis, or the development of a clot that obstructs a blood vessel or forms in the heart cavity, has been estimated to be the precipitating cause of 84 percent of all heart attacks and 61 percent of all strokes.
"The development of compounds to inhibit LG101 holds significant potential to reduce undesirable clot formation within blood vessels without increased risk of bleeding," said Dr. Arthur T. Sands, president and chief executive officer of Lexicon Genetics.
"Our discovery could lead to the development of breakthrough drugs for patients with increased risk of heart attack or stroke," Sands added.
Drugs currently on the market that address thrombosis have side effects that include increased risk of bleeding and, in some cases, increased risk of gastrointestinal irritation that could lead to bleeding. Additional side effects can include itching, rash, diarrhea and bruising.
Lexicon Genetics used its patented gene targeting technology to isolate and define the function of the LG101 gene. The pharmaceutical utility of LG101 was validated physiologically in Lexicon's high-throughput, industrialized gene knockout program. |
