ProMetic Life Sciences and AM-Pharma Announce Achievement of First Milestone in Sepsis Venture
MONTREAL, Canada, Sept. 27 /CNW/ - ProMetic Life Sciences (TSX: PLI) and
AM-Pharma Holding BV, announced today the achievement of their first milestone
in the development of new therapeutic approaches for the treatment and
diagnosis of sepsis and septic shock.
The first milestone of this program - the identification of affinity
ligands based on Prometic's proprietary Mimetic Ligand(TM) technology which
display the required affinity and selectivity for use in the isolation of
alkaline phosphatase from different sources, has been successfully achieved.
This work was conducted at Prometic's research & development facility based in
Cambridge, U.K.
According to Dr. Steve Burton, Vice President R&D, Prometic BioSciences
Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Prometic, "The completion of this first
milestone is very significant since it opens the way to a commercial process
for the manufacture of highly purified alkaline phosphatase suitable for use
in the treatment of sepsis". Dr. Burton added, "once again, Prometic's ability
to develop specific binding ligands according to agreed specifications and
timelines has been demonstrated. In common with most Mimetic Ligands(TM)
compounds, the molecules Prometic has identified are very robust synthetic
compounds which are ideally suited to use in downstream process applications
and for the development of stable diagnostic products."
PharmAAware Sepsis BV, a subsidiary of AM-Pharma Holding BV was first to
identify alkaline phosphatase as a promising therapeutic agent for the
treatment of sepsis. In the initial stages of sepsis, the immune system
recognizes foreign endotoxin molecules (lipopolysaccharide (LPS)) on the
surface of infecting bacteria and mounts an exaggerated inflammatory response,
which leads to septic shock and possibly, death. The body normally produces
low levels of alkaline phosphatase, which inactivates LPS present in the
blood. However, normal physiological concentrations of alkaline phosphatase
are not sufficient to prevent septic shock, making a purified, therapeutic-
grade alkaline phosphatase a very attractive therapeutic approach.
Under the terms of a previously released licensing agreement, both
parties committed to a two-year program to develop highly purified,
therapeutic-grade alkaline phosphatase for use in the treatment and diagnosis
of sepsis. The Company expects these therapeutics to enter the clinics
shortly.
ABOUT PROMETIC LIFE SCIENCES
ProMetic Life Sciences Inc. (TSX: PLI) is an international bio-
pharmaceutical company with headquarters in Montreal, Quebec, and additional
facilities in the UK. ProMetic is engaged in research, development,
manufacture and marketing of a variety of commercial applications from its
proprietary platform technologies, which are used in therapeutics, large-scale
drug purification, chemical genomics and proteomics, drug delivery and drug
development. Additional information is available on the company's website:
www.prometic.com .
ABOUT AM-PHARMA HOLDING BV
AM-Pharma Holding BV is a Dutch biopharmaceutical company that focuses on
the discovery, development and commercialisation of novel compounds, derived
from the innate human immune system. The resulting pharmaceutical products are
intended for the treatment of patients suffering from a variety of serious
infectious diseases. Specifically, the company operates in the segments of
lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-mediated diseases and infections of viral, fungal and
bacterial origin, offering products that address genuine unmet medical needs
in each of these areas. AM-Pharma Holding BV is the product of a merger
between PharmAAware Sepsis BV and PharmAAware IP BV and AM-Pharma BV in July
2002. More information can be retrieved on: www.am-pharma.com .
ABOUT SEPSIS
Sepsis is a major challenge in medicine. Particularly in elderly, immuno-
compromised and critically ill patients, sepsis is a major cause of morbidity
and mortality in intensive care units worldwide (Friedman, 1998, Balk, 2000).
In the US, it is estimated that more than 700,000 cases of severe sepsis,
hypoperfusion or shock occur per year (Linde-Zwirble, 1999), which when
extrapolated to a global population represents several million cases of severe
sepsis annually worldwide. Data also shows that sepsis is the leading cause of
death in non-coronary ICU patients (Sands 1997), and data collected by the
Centers for Disease Control in 1998 shows that it was the 11th leading cause
of death overall. The CDC warned that the incidence was increasing, citing the
aging of the US population and the increased prevalence of human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection as contributing factors. Also, the
widespread use of broad-spectrum antibiotics has increased the rates of both
antibiotic resistance and nosocomial infections of sepsis. A recent study
published in Crit. Care. Med. (2001) Vol. 29, No.7, clearly demonstrates the
ongoing increase of these conditions that are frequently fatal and expensive
for the healthcare system.
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks
and uncertainties, including, but not limited to the Company's ability to
develop, manufacture, and successfully commercialize value-added
pharmaceutical products and to obtain contracts for its products and services
and commercial acceptance of advanced affinity separation technology.
Shareholders are cautioned that these statements are predictions and these
actual events or results may differ materially from those anticipated in these
forward-looking statements.
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For further information: Noonan/Russo Communications Inc., Medias: Lynn
Blenkhorn: (212) 845-4276; Investors: Sharon Weinstein: (212) 845-4271,
www.noonanrusso.com; ProMetic Life Sciences Inc., Pierre Laurin, President and
CEO, (514) 496-2115, www.prometic.com |
