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

To: scaram(o)uche who wrote (316)	7/1/1998 5:20:00 PM
From: Boyce Burge	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 4474

An abstract of the News release. I am feeling encouraged about ARIA.. Expansion of Bone Marrow Cell Populations Using ARGENT(TM) PR Newswire, Wednesday, July 01, 1998 at 08:43 CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Scientists today reported that they have obtained large quantities of primary blood cells using ARGENT(TM), a proprietary technology designed to allow control of cellular activities through the administration of a small-molecule drug. A paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences describes the remarkable results achieved by C. Anthony Blau and his colleagues at the University of Washington. Using the ARGENT system being developed by ARIAD Pharmaceuticals (Cambridge, MA) (NASDAQ:ARIA), researchers engineered mouse bone marrow cells to produce a modified version of the thrombopoietin (TPO) receptor, fused to a specific drug-binding domain (FKBP). When the ARGENT small-molecule drug was administered to the engineered cells, it bound to FKBP thereby bringing together, or dimerizing, the TPO receptors. Dimerizing TPO receptors activates signaling pathways in the cells that result in vigorous cell growth, a process called expansion. Using this technique, the researchers were able to achieve a 2.5 million fold expansion of primary bone marrow cells over 42 days. ARIAD believes that these results have numerous implications for gene and cell therapy. "ARIAD's dimerizer technology allows one to conceive of doing things that were once unimaginable," said C. Anthony Blau, M.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology, University of Washington. "We have used the technology to markedly expand primary hemopoietic cells in culture, and we are testing this approach for expanding other tissues, such as liver and skin. We are particularly interested in using the dimerizer to expand target cell populations in vivo." ARIAD Pharmaceuticals is engaged in the discovery and development of orally administered therapeutics based on signal transduction technology. The Company is developing small-molecule drugs that block intracellular signaling pathways that play a critical role in major diseases including osteoporosis and immune-related disorders. ARIAD is also developing ARGENT, a proprietary regulated gene expression technology for orally active protein and cell therapy. Some of the matters discussed in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Other risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to risks and uncertainties regarding development of ARGENT, its application in bone marrow transportation and other clinical applications including in vivo applications, as well as risks and uncertainties relating to economic conditions, markets, products, services and prices, and other factors discussed under the heading "Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" in ARIAD's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1997 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.