Hello,
Found this interesting news letter in my 'inbox' this morning.
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Emerging Pharmaceuticals
A monthly newsletter covering preclinical drug development SEPTEMBER 1998 VOL. 7, NO.9
Canadian firm targets glutamate receptors for stroke, head injury, anxiety, epilepsy
Add IGT Pharma Inc. (Vancouver, B.C., Canada) to the list of companies targeting glutamate receptors for stroke and a variety of other neurological and psychiatric conditions. The program is basically an extension of more than 15 years of research by Kenneth Curry at the University of British Columbia (Vancouver, B.C., Canada) on neurotransmitter systems. The company also has a line of anti-cancer products in development.
Curry, and now IGT, has been interested in analogues of 1-aminocyclopentane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid (ACPD) as modulators of metabotropic glutamate receptors. These are a family of G protein-coupled receptors, distinct from the NMDA and AMPA complexes through which glutamate controls ion channels. The functions of these "mGlu" receptors aren't fully known, but it appears that a host of conditions are affected by them. ACPD was among the first artificial
agents active at mGlu receptors. Curry's ACPD analogues include agonists as well as antagonists of mGlu receptors.
IGT is now focusing its attention on three leads: one each for stroke and head injury, epilepsy and anxiety. These are now in preclinical testing, with a goal of developing second-generation products with increased receptor specificity, improved bio-availability and better penetration into the central nervous system. In addition to the initial three indications, IGT believes mGlu receptor modulators could be useful in cognitive disorders, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases, AIDS dementia, pain and substance addiction.
On the cancer front, IGT has developed analogues of two standard chemotherapeutic drugs, vinblastine and etoposide. The vinblastine derivative, anhydrovinblastine, is set to begin a clinical trial as soon as regulators approve IGT's filing.
The etoposide analogue, IGT-13, is now in preclinical studies: early results suggest it's superior to etoposide "in all respects," IGT says, and may be especially appropriate for multi-drug resistant tumors. Both agents are said to be less toxic than their parent compounds.
Details: Daniel Bong, Mgr. Technol. Devel.,
IGT Pharma Inc., 311-2386 East Mall, Univ. of
British Columbia, Vanouver, B.C. V6T 1Z3, Canada
Ph: (604) 822-3503
Fax: (604) 822-3506
E-mail: dbong@istar.ca |
