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Biotech / Medical : Celera Genomics (CRA) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: gao seng who wrote (733)	1/10/2002 10:11:43 AM
From: tuck	Respond to of 746

>>ROCKVILLE, Md.--(BW HealthWire)--Jan. 10, 2002--Celera Genomics (NYSE:CRA - news), an Applera Corporation business, today announced that the company had received an additional research milestone payment from Aventis Pharma, the pharmaceutical company of Aventis (NYSE:AVE - news), as part of the Cathepsin S inhibitor collaboration between the companies. This achievement represents the fourth and last in a series of research milestone criteria that mark the selection and advancement of individual Cathepsin S inhibitors for development as drugs for inflammation and autoimmune disease. The most recent milestone payment recognizes selection of Celera Cathepsin S inhibitor compounds as Early Development Candidates (EDC) for inflammation and autoimmune diseases. At Aventis, EDC nomination is the final step prior to the initiation of preclinical development activities. The Celera collaboration with Aventis Pharma was initiated with Rhone-Poulenc Rorer, a predecessor of Aventis Pharma, in late 1998. Under the terms of this collaboration, Aventis Pharma has worldwide development rights for all collaboration compounds in a broad range of therapeutic areas related to inflammation and autoimmune disease. As part of this collaboration, Aventis Pharma is investigating the use of Cathepsin S inhibitors in a number of specific therapeutic areas. Cathepsin S is a member of a large family of cysteine proteases, enzymes that are responsible for the cleavage and breakdown of other natural proteins in normal biological processes. In disease conditions, cysteine proteases can often be misregulated, providing an entry point for drug intervention. Cathepsin S has been highly associated with the processing and activation of the antigen receptor called MHC-II, essential for the initiation of both normal and pathological immune responses mediated by T-cells. Drugs to inhibit this enzyme could provide a novel method for control of antigen-induced response in multiple inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The results of previous studies confirmed the proposed mechanism of action for inhibitors of Cathepsin S after oral administration of a test compound. The collaboration between Aventis Pharma and Celera has utilized a structure-based drug design technology platform, including X-ray crystallography and medicinal chemistry, to provide a novel series of potent and selective Cathepsin S inhibitors to Aventis Pharma for pharmacological evaluation and possible development.<< snip Cheers, Tuck