Good news from NPSP:
Wednesday December 29, 4:47 pm Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Core Receptor Technology Patents Awarded to NPS Pharmaceuticals
SALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: NPSP - news; Toronto: NX - news) announced today the issuance and notices of allowance of 14 U.S. patents and patent applications received from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Together, this group of patents defines a cohesive and large body of intellectual property focused on the calcium receptor (CaR) and the related family of metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs). This core technology, in turn, is the basis for several major NPS programs, partnered and proprietary. The partnered programs include hyperparathyroidism (HPT) and osteoporosis, while the proprietary programs address disorders such as pain, epilepsy, anxiety, psoriasis, and diabetes.
(Photo: newscom.com )
Claims to the nucleic acid sequence of the calcium receptor gene and the amino acid sequence of the calcium receptor itself are included in U.S. Patent Numbers 5,962,314; 5,688,939; 5,763,569; and 5,858,684. The use of these sequences or fragments thereof in screening for compounds acting at the calcium receptor is also claimed in these patents.
A large number of NPS small molecules acting at the calcium receptor are covered by U.S. Patent Numbers 5,981,599 and 6,001,884 issued to NPS and the U.S. Patent applications that are scheduled to issue on January 4, 2000. These include first and second generation compounds that form the basis for the Company's ongoing work in HPT. Additionally, NPS has received Notices of Allowance on patent claims covering methods of treating diseases, such as HPT and osteoporosis, by drugs acting at the calcium receptor. Finally, the recently issued and allowed U.S. Patents will complement U.S. Patent Numbers 5,504,253; 5,633,404; 5,648,540; and 5,648,541 previously issued to NPS which claim processes and methods for manufacture of such drugs. This screening technology and related medicinal chemistry work has been extremely productive. NPS has an additional three patent applications pending that cover mechanistically and structurally varied compounds acting on various mGluRs.
Metabotropic glutamate receptors comprise a family of receptors structurally related to the calcium receptor. Building on its earlier work in calcium receptors, NPS has developed a novel high-throughput screening system that uses ``chimeric' receptors constructed from one region of the calcium receptor and another from the various mGluR subtypes. This technology is covered in broad claims to composition and methods for screening in NPS U.S. Patent 5,981,195. Several additional applications are in preparation and are pending claiming selective and pan-active compounds that show drug-like activity at various metabotropic glutamate receptors.
Hunter Jackson, Chairman, President and CEO, said ``These patents cover new drug targets, methods for high-throughput screening against those targets, and many drug-like small molecules active at those targets. Each individual patent is valuable, but together they constitute a cohesive proprietary position covering all stages of drug discovery in this area, including potential drugs themselves. These molecular targets and the compounds acting at those targets provide several new approaches to important disorders such as HPT, osteoporosis, and pain.
Dr. Jackson added, ``This intellectual property platform has been diligently created over almost 10 years by NPS scientists and their collaborators. This work is now delineated and secured by these patents. Work within this body of NPS technology now ranges from later stage clinical trials (e.g., HPT) to early discovery (e.g., diabetes). Furthermore, this platform continues to grow bigger and stronger as programs related to CaRs and mGluRs advance. Evidence for our productivity in these programs is found in over a dozen new patent applications either pending or in preparation. Most importantly, this NPS-owned technology, including the growing body of novel small molecules, can be expected to lead to new drugs for major unmet medical needs.'
Calcium receptors were conclusively identified by NPS scientists and their collaborators at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in 1993. This receptor is the first cell surface protein proven to respond to a charged atom (ion). Calcium receptors on parathyroid cells control the secretion of parathyroid hormone (PTH), which in turn regulates calcium levels in the blood. Oversecretion of PTH results in disease states such as primary and secondary hyperparathyroidism (HPT). HPT and osteoporosis are diseases that may respond to therapies that act on calcium receptors on parathyroid glands. Calcium receptors are also found in other tissues of the body and are thought to be involved in various physiological processes that depend on a response to concentrations of calcium. This opens the way for the possible future development of therapies for diseases such as psoriasis and diabetes.
Metabotropic glutamate receptors are structurally similar to the calcium receptor and, along with the CaR and GABA-B receptors, are members of Family 3 G-protein coupled receptors. Eight distinct subtypes of mGluRs have been identified, and these eight receptor subtypes are divided into Group I, Group II, or Group II classes of mGluRs on the basis of amino acid sequence homology, signal transduction pathways, and pharmacology. The therapeutic potential of compounds acting at mGluRs is widely recognized, impacting a larger number of neuropsychiatric and neurologic disorders, including anxiety, epilepsy, and pain.
In addition to its work in calcium receptor technology, NPS Pharmaceuticals and its subsidiary NPS Allelix are engaged in the discovery and development of small molecule drugs that address a variety of important diseases. Along with the therapies being developed for treating hyperparathyroidism with Kirin Brewery and Amgen Inc., and for treating osteoporosis with SmithKline Beecham, NPS has additional partnerships with Eli Lilly and Janssen addressing various CNS disorders. NPS also has an ongoing clinical development program in epilepsy and bipolar disorder. Additional information may be obtained by contacting David Clark, Vice President, Corporate Communications and Development at NPS Pharmaceuticals, at (801) 583- 4939. Other NPS press releases are available on the Company's website at www.npsp.com.
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