CLEVELAND, March 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Athersys, Inc. today announced the company has achieved important milestones in commercial collaborations with Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. , demonstrating the successful application of its technologies to drug discovery and triggering milestone-related payments.
Bristol-Myers Squibb RAGE Collaboration
As part of a collaboration initiated in 2001, Athersys continues to apply its proprietary RAGE(R) technology to provide Bristol-Myers Squibb with validated drug targets for high throughput screening and lead optimization. Over the course of the multi-year partnership, Athersys has successfully delivered drug targets to Bristol-Myers Squibb from distinct target classes and in a variety of therapeutic areas. These targets provide the foundation for several active drug development programs at Bristol-Myers Squibb. Recently, Bristol-Myers Squibb has submitted an IND for a compound discovered using a RAGE target, triggering the first clinical milestone payment related to the collaboration. “We remain committed to supporting our partnership with Bristol-Myers Squibb and are delighted that the RAGE technology is playing a useful role in our partner’s drug discovery efforts,” said John Harrington, Ph.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of Athersys, Inc. “In addition to the milestone payment to Athersys, the advancement of a compound to the IND stage represents an important technical milestone and further demonstrates the value of the RAGE technology in the drug discovery process. At Athersys, the RAGE technology continues to provide a foundation for our own drug discovery and development programs.”
Angiotech Cardiovascular Stem Cell Collaboration
As result of a partnership established in 2006, Athersys and Angiotech are collaborating to develop and commercialize cell-based therapies for cardiovascular disease using MultiStem(R), Athersys’ proprietary non-embryonic stem cell product. Initially, the partners are developing MultiStem to treat heart attack patients, a condition that affects more than one million people per year in the U.S. alone.
During this past year, Athersys has completed multiple animal studies demonstrating that MultiStem can be safely delivered to the heart via catheter and provide functional benefit in models of acute myocardial infarction. The company has also completed GMP manufacturing scale-up to support a phase I trial in humans. As a result of this progress, Athersys has reached a milestone resulting in additional funding from Angiotech’s ADDVANCE division. “Based on the pre-clinical safety and efficacy data generated to date, we are very enthusiastic about the use of MultiStem to treat heart attack victims,” said Robert Deans, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Regenerative Medicine. “Once we complete final safety studies, we intend to initiate a phase I trial to evaluate MultiStem in patients following an acute myocardial infarction.”
About Athersys
Athersys is a biopharmaceutical and regenerative medicine company engaged in the discovery and development of therapeutic product candidates designed to extend and enhance the quality of human life. Through the application of its proprietary technologies, it has established a pipeline of therapeutic product development programs in multiple disease areas. Athersys’ lead product candidate, ATHX-105, a highly selective agonist of the serotonin receptor 5HT2c, a validated molecular target located in the region of the brain that regulates appetite and food intake. Compounds acting on this target have been shown to reduce appetite and result in weight loss in animal models and humans. In addition to its lead product candidate, the company is developing novel pharmaceutical product candidates for the treatment of metabolic and central nervous system disorders, utilizing proprietary capabilities and technologies including Random Activation of Gene Expression (RAGE(R))
Athersys is also developing MultiStem(R) to treat patients for certain cardiovascular disorders, stroke, bone marrow transplantation and oncology support, as well as other disease indications. MultiStem is a patented stem cell product that is based on a special class of adult-derived stem cells known as Multi-Potent Adult Progenitor Cells (MAPC). Unlike most other adult stem cell types, MAPC have a demonstrated ability to form a broad range of cell types, contributing to a range of tissues. In addition, MAPC may be isolated from the bone marrow and other non-embryonic tissue sources, can be routinely expanded to create large product inventories, and are being developed for off-the-shelf treatment of patients. Athersys is a founding member of the Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine based in Cleveland, Ohio, with the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University.
Athersys, Inc.
CONTACT: William (B.J.) Lehmann, J.D., President and Chief OperatingOfficer of Athersys, Inc., +1-216-431-9900, or bjlehmann@athersys.com
Web site: http://www.athersys.com//
