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Biotech / Medical : Neuroscience -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Jim Oravetz who wrote (218)	7/18/2001 5:43:15 PM
From: nigel bates	Respond to of 278

Synaptic Pharmaceutical Scientists Use 'Biogenomics' to Find Elusive Receptors For Trace Amine Neurotransmitters PARAMUS, N.J., July 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Scientists at Synaptic Pharmaceutical Corporation (Nasdaq: SNAP - news) have discovered a family of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) for a group of natural (endogenous) chemical messengers known as trace amines, it was reported in the July 17 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences online Early Edition (http://www.pnas.org). Trace amines have long been known to be associated with various neurological disorders, such as depression and schizophrenia, however, receptors for trace amines could not be found, until now. The Company credits its ``biogenomics'' technology, which combines biology and genomics into a unified drug discovery approach, with the breakthrough. The discovery will also be published in the July 31 print version of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. A research team led by Beth Borowsky, Ph.D., found fifteen related receptors in three species of mammals, including four receptors that are expressed in humans. The authors of the paper reported that finding ``such a large family of highly related receptors'' was ``unexpected.'' In the human brain, three of the receptors were found to be concentrated in an area known to play a role in regulating mood. Also, the trace amine genes are located on a chromosome close to a susceptibility locus for schizophrenia. ``Thus, it will be important to delineate the role of receptors in the etiology and treatment of schizophrenia,'' the authors wrote. Trace amines, which include tyramine, tryptamine and beta-phenylethylamine, are closely related chemically to the well-known neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine, the so-called biogenic amines. This close relationship and evidence that trace amine levels are abnormal in certain psychological disorders have led researchers to posit that trace amines are important biological signals. ``We've long suspected that trace amines are important neurotransmitters,'' said Borowsky, ``but without receptors we couldn't prove it. Now we have the tools to find out what biological role trace amines play.'' On July 9 at the Gordon Research Conference on Catecholamines at the Proctor Academy in Andover, New Hampshire, Theresa Branchek, Ph.D., vice president for research, reported the Company has synthesized several compounds that act specifically on trace amine receptors and will shortly begin evaluating them in animal models of depression and schizophrenia. ``We've expanded our drug discovery efforts to include this new class of G protein-coupled receptors,'' Branchek said. ``We think the similarities between trace amines and biogenic amines make trace amine receptors attractive targets for designing new drugs. These new treatments hold promise for a broad spectrum of neurologic and psychiatric diseases.'' The trace amine receptor discovery is an outgrowth of Synaptic's extensive effort to discover and characterize serotonin receptors. Of the fourteen known serotonin receptors, Synaptic researchers have discovered seven. The close relationship between serotonin and trace amine receptors contributed to the discovery. The receptors and transporters for serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine are the target for a number of blockbuster drugs for the treatment of depression, psychosis, heart disease, migraine headache and histamine. Kathleen P. Mullinix, Ph.D., chairman, president and chief executive officer said, ``Our discovery of trace amine receptors shows the power of integrating biology and genomics into a single, unified drug discovery approach. Synaptic's focused GPCR genomics effort led us to the receptors; biology told us what to do. We believe our approach, which we call 'biogenomics,' will be the key to unlocking the full potential of the GPCR information flowing from the human genome project.'' Synaptic Pharmaceutical Corporation is a drug discovery company focused on GPCR receptors. The Company is using its large portfolio of patented GPCR targets to design improved drugs and to map biological pathways that may offer new ways to treat diseases. As of July 18, the Company is collaborating with Grunenthal GmbH on discovering compounds for the alleviation of pain and with Kissei Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. in a functional genomics collaboration to identify novel G protein-coupled receptors that can provide new drug discovery targets for Kissei. For more information on the Company, please visit our web site at synapticcorp.com.

To: Jim Oravetz who wrote (218)	7/23/2001 12:30:51 PM
From: Jim Oravetz	Respond to of 278

Alzheimer's Drug Is Found Safe Enough For Elan to Start Wider Clinical Trials By ANTONIO REGALADO Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL Initial human tests of an unconventional treatment for Alzheimer's disease show the drug is safe enough to enter expanded clinical trials. Its developer, Elan Corp., said it would announce the results Monday. In tests on about 100 elderly patients with moderate forms of Alzheimer's disease, AN-1792 caused no major side effects, according to the company. The drug is designed to stimulate the body to destroy the brain plaque that causes Alzheimer's. Ivan Lieberburg, Elan's chief scientific and medical officer, said the study found evidence of a beneficial immune response. A larger study is set to be launched this fall, and will involve 375 patients in the U.S. and Europe. 1Critical Enzyme Is Identified In Battle to Beat Alzheimer's (May 25) 2Vaccine to Treat Alzheimer's Works Better Than Expected (Dec. 21, 2000) According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Alzheimer's disease ranks as the eighth-leading cause of death in the U.S., and accounted for 44,507 deaths in 1999. Elan, Dublin, Ireland, is developing AN-1792 along with American Home Products Corp. of Madison, N.J. The partners are conducting preliminary animal tests on several related compounds, and Dr. Lieberburg said he expected to ask the Food and Drug Administration for permission to begin testing two of those sometime next year. Further human studies will show which member of the drug family works best. The progress of AN-1792 is being closely watched by many scientists, since the experimental drug contains the same molecule that is believed to cause Alzheimer's when it builds up in the brain. Elan scientists believe the treatment teaches the body's immune system to eliminate the harmful molecule, known as beta-amyloid. In the new study, Elan says it will seek further data on the drug's safety and proper dosage. Elan will also test some new ideas for measuring anti-Alzheimer's effects, including imaging patients' brains with magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI. "For a first-in-its-class drug like this, the biggest challenge is in not exactly knowing what you are going to see," said L. Patrick Gage, president of research at AHP's pharmaceutical division, Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories. "We think this clinical study is important to help us know how to better design" future human tests. In related news, scientists at University College London reported in the July issue of the Lancet that they used MRI to detect the onset of Alzheimer's disease in patients about three years before they began to experience clinical symptoms, such as memory loss.