GAITHERSBURG, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gene Logic Inc. (NASDAQ: GLGC - News) announced today that GL1001, the company’s clinical-stage drug candidate, showed indications of efficacy at relevant doses in in vivo testing for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Based on the in vivo test results and market opportunities in IBD, the Company is seeking a partner for the clinical development of GL1001.
Gene Logic discovered the new potential therapeutic use for GL1001 using its Drug Repositioning Platform, a diverse set of drug evaluation technologies the Company uses to assess drug candidates for potential utility across a wide spectrum of disease indications. GL1001 was found to suppress the induction of a key inflammatory mediator both in vivo and in vitro. The data were also supported by analysis of Gene Logic’s proprietary gene expression database, BioExpress®. Gene Logic performed the work under an agreement with Millennium Pharmaceuticals and subsequently acquired certain exclusive rights to GL1001 for commercial development.
IBD is a chronic health problem characterized by inflammation and swelling in the digestive tract, leading to ulcers and bleeding. Symptoms may include cramping, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. There are two main types of inflammatory bowel disease: ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, and the conditions affect as many as 1 million Americans.
Gene Logic’s Drug Repositioning Program seeks to find alternative development paths for drug candidates with good safety records that have been de-prioritized or discontinued in clinical trials. The program offers pharmaceutical partners a novel approach to bolster their pipelines with high-quality drug candidates that originated from their own R&D efforts. The program can also yield proprietary drug candidates for the Company when a partner chooses not to develop a compound for a use identified by the Company.
Charles L. Dimmler, III, Gene Logic CEO and President, commented, “Our in vivo tests provide data that indicate GL1001 has the potential to treat IBD. We also view this in vivo proof-of-concept as further evidence that our Drug Repositioning Platform has the potential to yield clinically interesting drug development opportunities that may be validated in industry-standard models of efficacy. Our next step will be to secure the right partner to pursue a clinical development strategy for GL1001. At the same time, we are working with our existing drug repositioning partners to discover new uses for their discontinued drug candidates in other therapeutic areas.”
Gene Logic Overview
Gene Logic is transforming into a pharmaceutical development company through partnerships with pharmaceutical companies. Our partners provide Gene Logic with access to their drug candidates that have been assessed as safe in human clinical trials but discontinued for other reasons. Gene Logic applies its drug indication platform to find new therapeutic uses for the drug candidates. Gene Logic expects to receive milestone payments and royalties on drug candidates that our partners choose to develop based on the indications we find or, if the partner elects not to pursue such new indications, Gene Logic may receive ownership and development rights.
Gene Logic has also developed proprietary genomics databases and services to enable customers worldwide to discover and prioritize drug targets, identify biomarkers, predict toxicity and understand mechanisms of toxicity, and obtain insights into the efficacy of specific compounds. We continue to offer customers these services and licenses to the databases. Such databases, services and expertise are also a vital part of our drug indication platform. Following consideration of various strategic alternatives for its Genomics Division, the Company is concentrating its efforts on investigating the possibility of a sale of all or parts of its Genomics business while continuing to serve new and existing Genomics customers.
Founded in 1994, Gene Logic is headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., with additional research and development facilities in Cambridge, Mass. The Company currently has about 150 employees worldwide. For more information, visit www.genelogic.com or call toll-free - 1/800/GENELOGIC.
Contact: Gene Logic Inc. Investors: Philip L. Rohrer, Jr., 301-987-1700 Chief Financial Officer prohrer@genelogic.com or Investors and Media: Christopher Culotta, 301-987-1752 Senior Director, Strategic Communications cculotta@genelogic.com
Source: Gene Logic Inc.
