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Biotech / Medical : T/FIF, a New Plateau -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: nigel bates who wrote (1233)	7/12/2002 2:18:20 AM
From: scaram(o)uche	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 2243

Friday July 12, 2:00 am Eastern Time Press Release SOURCE: Oxford GlycoSciences Plc OGS and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics Inc. Launch a Major Proteomics Initiative to Advance Management of Cystic Fibrosis OXFORD, UK and BETHESDA, Md., July 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Oxford GlycoSciences Plc (LSE: OGS, Nasdaq: OGSI) and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics Inc. (CFFTI), a non-profit affiliate of the US based Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, today announced a research collaboration to discover and validate serum biomarkers of cystic fibrosis (CF) and associated pulmonary complications. OGS will apply its industrial-scale proteomics technology to analyse clinical samples collected by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to identify serum proteins that predict early CF lung disease. These markers could be of particular value in monitoring infants for whom current assessment methods are limited. They could also be useful in facilitating clinical trials by optimising patient profiling and assessing disease severity and progression in response to therapeutic intervention. The results from the collaboration may also contribute to better defining CF disease mechanisms, providing insights that could lead to the identification of new drug targets. "We believe that this project, focusing on serum biomarkers, has the potential to bring significant improvements in the management of cystic fibrosis lung diseases by overcoming some of the limitations of current diagnostics and treatments," said David Ebsworth, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of OGS. "This alliance with CFFTI is an important and significant addition to our proteomics discovery business." "By collaborating with OGS and using its extensive experience in proteomics of serum biomarkers and respiratory diseases, we believe that we can accelerate the pace of clinical advances to meet CF's tremendous unmet medical need," said Robert J. Beall, Ph.D., President and CEO of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and CFFTI. "This research has the potential to benefit patients in two ways: by diagnosing complications sooner and by intervening earlier and more efficiently. Both may improve the quality of life of tens of thousands of CF patients worldwide." Under the terms of the agreement, OGS retains exclusive commercial rights to databases, prognostic and diagnostic applications of biomarkers, and rights on certain applications developed outside of CF, while CFFTI retains exclusive rights to CF therapeutics and certain related applications. CFFTI could pay OGS up to $5.5 million, including an upfront technology access fee, research fees and certain discovery and validation milestone payments. In addition, each party is entitled to receive royalties from the other party on product sales in respect of that party's retained commercial rights. Notes to Editors: About Cystic Fibrosis Cystic fibrosis is a life-threatening genetic disease that causes the body to produce an abnormally thick, sticky mucus, due to the faulty transport of sodium and chloride (salt) within cells lining organs such as the lungs and pancreas. CF's most common symptoms are: very salty sweat; persistent coughing, wheezing or pneumonia; poor weight gain despite healthy appetite; and bulky stools. Current treatment of CF is limited and depends upon the stage of the disease and the organs that are involved. Therapies include chest physical therapy, and antibiotics administrated intravenously, orally and by aerosol. Worldwide, approximately 70,000 individuals are affected by CF. About OGS OGS has developed a patented technology platform in the emerging field of proteomics, the comprehensive study of proteins, integrating proteomics with genomics to create an innovative drug discovery platform. OGS' proteomics collaborations with major pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies include Bayer, Pioneer Hi-Bred/DuPont, GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer. OGS has drug discovery and development alliances with Medarex, NeoGenesis and BioInvent and technology development collaborations with Applera, Cambridge Antibody Technology, Packard BioScience and The Institute for Systems Biology. OGS has also entered into a joint venture, Confirmant Limited, to develop the Protein Atlas of the Human Genome(TM). OGS has drug research discovery programmes in central nervous system, cancer, infectious disease and glycosphingolipid (GSL) storage disorders. OGS submission for its development compound, Vevesca (OGT 918), for the treatment of type 1 Gaucher disease to European regulatory authorities is under review. Vevesca (OGT 918) is an investigational drug and has not received approval for marketing in any country. About CFFTI The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics, Inc. (CFFTI) was established by the CF Foundation as a non-profit affiliate that operates drug discovery, development and evaluation efforts. CFFTI is made up of industry and academic researchers and members of the CF Foundation Board of Trustees. Total support of CFFTI is provided by the CF Foundation. This proteomics research initiative is part of an innovative Therapeutics Development Program that spans the full spectrum of CF drug development from discovery to clinical evaluation. Matching milestone-driven awards to support CF drug discovery and development are offered to biotechnology companies and academic institutions through this program. Promising new drugs are then streamlined through clinical trial evaluations in the CF Foundation's network of specialized care centers. For more information on the CF Foundation and CFFTI, please visit www.cff.org. (snip)