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Biotech / Medical : Ligand (LGND) Breakout! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: bob zagorin who wrote (21400)	5/26/1998 1:32:00 PM
From: Henry Niman	Respond to of 32384

Here's what David Robinson had to say about osteoporosis research: Leading efforts to combat osteoporosis David E. Robinson 12-May-1998 Tuesday Rarely a day goes by without an announcement about a new "miracle drug" or major medical breakthrough. Indeed, modern technology, biotechnology and scientific research are yielding unparalleled advancements against some of humankind's most formidable diseases. New treatments for cancer, diabetes, heart disease and a host of other ailments are resulting in extended and improved quality of life for millions of people worldwide. As someone intimately involved in biotechnology research, I can assure you there are more breakthroughs to come. Particularly noteworthy are exciting advances in the field of osteoporosis research. Technically speaking, osteoporosis is a medical condition -- not a disease -- in which the mineral content of the bones is depleted over time to the extent that the bones become brittle, porous and highly susceptible to fracture. To call attention to the seriousness of this condition, the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) has designated this week as National Osteoporosis Prevention Week. The goal is to stress the importance of preventing osteoporosis. It provides an opportunity to draw attention to the innovative research currently being carried out by biotechnology firms headquartered in the San Diego area to develop improved treatments. Over the past few decades, osteoporosis has emerged as a major public-health threat, affecting more than 28 million Americans (80 percent of whom are women) and 78 million people worldwide. In fact, a woman's risk of hip fracture is equal to the combined risk of developing breast, uterine and ovarian cancer. Further underscoring the prevalence and impact osteoporosis has on the lives of millions of Americans, the NOF reports that in the United States: One out of two women and one in eight men over age 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime. By age 75, one-third of all men will be affected by osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is responsible for 1.5 million fractures annually, two-thirds of which are debilitating vertebral or hip fractures. The estimated national direct expenditures (hospitals and nursing homes) for osteoporotic and associated fractures are $13.8 billion annually ($38 million each day) and the cost is rising. It has been shown that building strong bones, especially before the age of 30, can be the best defense against developing osteoporosis. It is also important to keep bones healthy by maintaining a balanced diet rich in calcium and vitamin D, performing regular weight-bearing exercises, practicing a healthy lifestyle with no smoking and limited caffeine and alcohol intake, avoiding stress and undergoing regular physical exams that include bone density testing. While medical experts agree that osteoporosis is highly preventable, if the overall physical and financial toll of the condition is to be reduced, there must also be a strong commitment to osteoporosis research. Nowhere is that commitment stronger than among many of the biotechnology, medical research and medical equipment firms which make up the regional trade association BIOCOM/San Diego, whose goal is to ensure that the biomedical industry remains a strong and growing part of the region's economy. Several of BIOCOM's members, including Ligand Pharmaceuticals, Signal Pharmaceuticals Inc. and AXYS Pharmaceuticals are developing next-generation drugs that will both help prevent and treat osteoporosis. Ligand currently has three compounds in human clinical development for osteoporosis. One, developed in collaboration with Wyeth-Ayerst, is a tissue-selective estrogen compound for the treatment of post-menopausal osteoporosis. During its collaborative research agreement with Pfizer Inc, Ligand worked on droloxifene, an estrogen agonist/antagonist. Pfizer has initiated advanced clinical trials to study the effects of droloxifene in the treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women and recently in men. In 1996 AXYS Pharmaceuticals established a collaborative effort with Merck & Co. to develop small-molecule inhibitors of cathepsins K and L, which are cysteine protease targets thought to play a role in osteoporosis. In February 1997 AXYS announced that it had solved the three-dimensional structure of cathepsin K. In May 1995 AXYS, in collaboration with Corange International, Ltd. began efforts to identify the genes involved in osteoporosis. The agreement was recently expanded to accelerate the research. AXYS is a leader in the integration of drug discovery technologies from gene identification though clinical development and is focused on the discovery of small-molecule therapeutics. Signal Pharmaceuticals Inc. is an integrated target and drug discovery company focused on identifying new classes of small-molecule drugs that regulate genes and the production of disease-causing proteins. The company is applying advanced cellular, molecular and genomic technologies to map gene regulating pathways in cells and subsequently identify targets that activate or deactivate genes which cause disease. One of Signal's six drug discovery programs includes bone metabolism. Since 1989, Ligand has established a leadership position in gene transcription technologies. Ligand has applied these technologies to the discovery and development of small-molecule drugs to enhance therapeutic and safety profiles and to address unmet patient needs in cancer, women's and men's health and skin diseases, as well as osteoporosis, metabolic, cardiovascular and inflammatory disease. Given the level of expertise and the resources currently committed by BIOCOM/San Diego member companies and others, the future for definitive prevention and treatment of osteoporosis is very bright.