Bio Screening Industry News

AnalytiCon to provide a highly purified, fully elucidated natural product compound library

Potsdam, Germany (July 12, 2005) - AnalytiCon Discovery GmbH (AnalytiCon), a specialist in all aspects of natural product drug discovery, announced it has signed an agreement that will provide Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, Division of Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V. (J&JPRD), with full access to the unique chemical diversity contained within AnalytiCon’s extensive natural products biological collection. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

According to the agreement, AnalytiCon will apply its proprietary MEGAbolite® technology to isolate and characterize small molecule compounds from a variety of biosources to find novel and pharmaceutically active compounds on behalf of J&JPRD. AnalytiCon will profile both its own extensive proprietary biological collections and biomaterials provided by Tibotec Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (Tibotec) that are described in ethno-botany for active compounds. In addition, AnalytiCon will carry out all tasks beginning with the acquisition of plant and microbial material, and the isolation and fractionation of the contained natural product compounds up to their analytical characterization. AnalytiCon expects to deliver more than 500 highly purified compounds with fully elucidated structures to J&JPRD and Tibotec for drug discovery screening activities. AnalytiCon also expects to establish the resupply protocol in order to guarantee compound supply for J&JPRD’s follow-up discovery work on an as-needed basis.

“We have had a long business relationship with J&JRPD and we are excited to continue this relationship,” said Dr. Lutz Müller-Kuhrt, CEO of AnalytiCon Discovery GmbH. “We expect to supply a number of novel compounds and we look forward to working with J&JPRD within their discovery process.”

The internationally operating AnalytiCon Discovery GmbH is a worldwide market-leader in the field of structurally fully elucidated natural product libraries. On the basis of its ready-to-screen technology in the field of natural products (MEGAbolite®) and natural product analogues (NatDiverseTM) the company enjoys an exceptional market positioning. AnalytiCon has direct access to roughly a quarter of all known natural compounds worldwide, i.e. in their pure and structurally fully elucidated form. The company is able to offer its clients a complete Supply-Chain-Management from the initial biomaterial to the final lead compound.

About AnalytiCon
AnalytiCon a brand and at the same time successful company, is world’s first address for all needs in connection with natural product drug discovery. >From prospecting for biosources, via fermentation, extraction and isolation to high throughput structure elucidation, the company provides a vast portfolio of first class services. Beyond that, AnalytiCon produces pure natural compound collections and libraries of synthetic, natural product based molecules carrying relevant bio-active structure elements. The natural product drug discovery platform is complemented by a portfolio of medicinal chemistry services. For further information see www.ac-discovery.com.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., July 12 /PRNewswire/ — Iconix Pharmaceuticals announced today that it has signed an agreement with Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. (NBIX) to provide the San Diego-based company with chemogenomic analyses on candidate compounds in Neurocrine drug discovery programs. As part of the agreement, scientists will apply Iconix’s DrugMatrix® technology to provide a gene expression-based chemogenomic work-up on a minimum of 12 Neurocrine compounds. The program will identify pharmacological and toxicological biomarkers, detail biochemical processes to validate new biomarkers, and is anticipated to provide Neurocrine with more sensitive and timely data on the relative toxicity and pharmacology of these molecules than can be obtained with current tools and techniques.

Under the terms of the agreement, Iconix will present summary analyses on these selected compounds that will include, analysis of “on- and off-target” effects including toxicity as revealed by gene expression profiles, the impact of these gene expression changes on critical biological pathways and Iconix’s proprietary Drug Signatures(TM) biomarker information. This type of summary analysis is designed to rapidly provide a detailed overview of each compounds’ properties. For a selected subset of the compounds Iconix will provide full analyses based on the complete suite of Iconix tools. The full analyses will focus on identifying toxicities and pathologies that may not have been identified by Neurocrine in their normal screening cascade. While the primary focus of the agreement is the analysis of expression data from liver tissue, Iconix will also provide additional summary analysis of gene expression changes in other tissues (e.g. heart, kidney, spleen or muscle) and will provide data generated by in vitro experiments in rat primary hepatocytes.

“We are pleased to begin working with Neurocrine on this program that will allow them to prioritize candidates and make clinical development decisions armed with the fullest available chemogenomic and pharmacologic data,” said Jim Neal, CEO, Iconix Pharmaceuticals. “Neurocrine is well known for its in-house capabilities in the areas of toxicology, PK and other screening technologies so we are especially pleased that we can work with them to provide even greater insight into the compounds being evaluated.”

Iconix has established a chemogenomic analysis platform for the assessment and prediction of lead candidate mechanism of action and toxicity based on genomic profiles and biomarkers. Iconix’s DrugMatrix database includes extensive and standardized gene expression, histopathology, blood chemistry, molecular pharmacology and literature profiles on over 600 benchmark drugs, toxicants and other standards. Iconix’s Drug Signatures library represents over 300 validated genomic biomarkers, derived by Iconix from DrugMatrix, that predict with very high accuracy the mechanism, toxicity and side effects of candidate drug molecules.

About Iconix:

Iconix Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is pioneering the new field of chemogenomics, the integration of chemistry and genomics to profile drug candidates. Iconix’s chemogenomic capabilities enable pharmaceutical companies to increase the odds of advancing the right compounds to the clinic, reducing attrition rates and the costs of drug discovery. Iconix provides reference systems and know-how to predict toxic liabilities, side effects and mechanisms of drug candidates. The company has collaborations with Bristol Myers Squibb, Abbott Laboratories, ICOS, Eli Lilly, Schering-Plough (NYSE: SGP - News), AstraZeneca, Taisho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Eisai Co., Ltd. and other leading companies. Iconix also provides research, training and support to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) under an agreement to advance CDER’s study of the application of genomic technologies in the regulatory approval process. Iconix’s DrugMatrix system has been installed at the FDA for use by CDER scientists and reviewers in a diverse range of chemogenomics applications. The company also has strategic partnerships with leading life sciences companies including MDS Pharma Services (TSE:MDS - News; NYSE: MDZ - News) and GE Healthcare.

Headquartered in Mountain View, California, Iconix was founded in 1998 and is privately held. For more information, visit www.iconixpharm.com.

AnalytiCon to provide a highly purified, fully elucidated natural product compound library

Potsdam, Germany (July 12, 2005) - AnalytiCon Discovery GmbH (AnalytiCon), a specialist in all aspects of natural product drug discovery, announced it has signed an agreement that will provide Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, Division of Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V. (J&JPRD), with full access to the unique chemical diversity contained within AnalytiCon’s extensive natural products biological collection. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

According to the agreement, AnalytiCon will apply its proprietary MEGAbolite® technology to isolate and characterize small molecule compounds from a variety of biosources to find novel and pharmaceutically active compounds on behalf of J&JPRD. AnalytiCon will profile both its own extensive proprietary biological collections and biomaterials provided by Tibotec Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (Tibotec) that are described in ethno-botany for active compounds. In addition, AnalytiCon will carry out all tasks beginning with the acquisition of plant and microbial material, and the isolation and fractionation of the contained natural product compounds up to their analytical characterization. AnalytiCon expects to deliver more than 500 highly purified compounds with fully elucidated structures to J&JPRD and Tibotec for drug discovery screening activities. AnalytiCon also expects to establish the resupply protocol in order to guarantee compound supply for J&JPRD’s follow-up discovery work on an as-needed basis.

“We have had a long business relationship with J&JRPD and we are excited to continue this relationship,” said Dr. Lutz Müller-Kuhrt, CEO of AnalytiCon Discovery GmbH. “We expect to supply a number of novel compounds and we look forward to working with J&JPRD within their discovery process.”

The internationally operating AnalytiCon Discovery GmbH is a worldwide market-leader in the field of structurally fully elucidated natural product libraries. On the basis of its ready-to-screen technology in the field of natural products (MEGAbolite®) and natural product analogues (NatDiverseTM) the company enjoys an exceptional market positioning. AnalytiCon has direct access to roughly a quarter of all known natural compounds worldwide, i.e. in their pure and structurally fully elucidated form. The company is able to offer its clients a complete Supply-Chain-Management from the initial biomaterial to the final lead compound.

About AnalytiCon
AnalytiCon a brand and at the same time successful company, is world’s first address for all needs in connection with natural product drug discovery. >From prospecting for biosources, via fermentation, extraction and isolation to high throughput structure elucidation, the company provides a vast portfolio of first class services. Beyond that, AnalytiCon produces pure natural compound collections and libraries of synthetic, natural product based molecules carrying relevant bio-active structure elements. The natural product drug discovery platform is complemented by a portfolio of medicinal chemistry services. For further information see www.ac-discovery.com.

Contact:
AnalytiCon Discovery GmbH
Matthias Hess, Head of Marketing & Sales
Email m.hess@ac-discovery.com
Phone +49 331 2300 300

SAN DIEGO and ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., July 11 /PRNewswire/ — A New Mexico team
has been awarded a $9 million dollar three-year grant from the National
Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop the New Mexico Molecular Library
Screening Center (NMMLSC). The NMMLSC center is part of NIH’s “Roadmap”
initiative aimed at putting medical discoveries on the fast track to improving
health as well as making research more understandable. The NMMLSC will be
centered at the UNM Health Sciences Center, with major HSC components in the
UNM Cancer Research & Treatment Center (CRTC), the UNM College of Pharmacy,
and the Division of Biocomputing of the School of Medicine. The NMMLSC will
be part of a network of nine national facilities working to identify the most
compelling opportunities in three main areas: new pathways to discovery,
research teams of the future, and re-engineering the clinical research
enterprise.
The director of the NMMLSC Larry Sklar, Ph.D. and Director of Research at
the UNM CRTC, said, “This is an important step for the scientific process in
going from individual scientists working in small groups to teams of
interdisciplinary networks across the country working together.” Dr. Sklar
added, “In this Center, we will discover small molecules that target important
biological processes. The targets come from the NIH community and our Center
will perform screens on these targets with small molecules. We will then use
chemistry to optimize activities of these small molecules and output data back
to the NIH community. These small molecules can be used as probes, imaging
agents and leads for new drug molecules.”
The Division of Biocomputing, established through the assistance of the
New Mexico Tobacco Settlement, will provide informatics support to the Center.
Tudor Oprea, MD, PhD, Director of the Office, said, “This is truly a team
effort where work to evaluate small molecules, both virtually and physically,
are integrated. We will continue our successful partnership with ChemDiv Inc.
in order to identify and optimize new molecular probes.” Larry Sklar added
that “UNM’s long standing collaboration with ChemDiv, a San Diego based
research contract organization, has been essential to gaining the NIH grant.”
ChemDiv provides UNM with access to Discovery outSource(TM) a full service
drug discovery capability encompassing; synthetic and medicinal chemistry;
pre-clinical development; diverse and focused screening libraries; global
logistics and sample management services.
The Center team includes researchers from New Mexico State (Jeffrey
Arterburn and Pete Herndon), New Mexico Tech (Alex Kornienko), and ChemDiv
(Alexander Kiselyov). Scientists from other UNM departments will include
Bruce Edwards and Larry Sklar from Pathology, Eric Prossnitz from Cell Biology
and Physiology, Tudor Oprea, David vander Jagt and Robert Royer from
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Lorraine Deck and Wei Wang from
Chemistry, Herbert Tanner from the School of Engineering and a new senior
medicinal chemistry recruit from the College of Pharmacy.

About ChemDiv, Inc.: ChemDiv Incorporated (ChemDiv) with headquarters in
San Diego, USA is a global chemistry-driven contract research organization
focused on the delivery of new scientific innovation and products and services
that meet the drug discovery needs of its partners.
For further information about ChemDiv, please visit www.chemdiv.com.

SOURCE ChemDiv, Inc.
-0- 07/11/2005
/CONTACT: Cathleen Rineer-Garber, Communications and Publications Manager
of UNM Health Sciences Center, +1-505-272-5654, CGarber@salud.unm.edu; or
Natalie Ikizalp, Business Development/Project Manager of ChemDiv, Inc.,
+1-858-794-4860, nni@chemdiv.com/
/Web site: http://www.chemdiv.com /

Joint Statement From:

Zeda Rosenberg, CEO, International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM)
Polly Harrison, Director, Alliance for Microbicide Development (AMD)
Lori Heise, Director, Global Campaign for Microbicides (GCM)
Manju Chatani, Coordinator, African Microbicides Advocacy Group (AMAG)

GLENEAGLES, Scotland, July 8, 2005 /PRNewswire/ — This year’s G8 summit in Gleneagles marks an important milestone in the industrialized world’s commitment to global health and development. The G8 has taken an important step today by recognizing for the first time the urgent need to develop a safe and effective microbicide and calling for advance purchase commitments and other innovative financing tools to encourage increased investment in microbicide and vaccine research and development. An effective microbicide would give women the power to protect themselves from HIV infection and stop the feminization of the HIV epidemic. Microbicides are especially needed in sub-Saharan Africa, where three-quarters of the world’s HIV-infected women live.

“The news that the G8 Gleneagles Africa statement has highlighted the importance of HIV prevention and specifically mentioned microbicides is a great boost to those of us who have been working for many years to develop an effective microbicide,” Dr. Janet Darbyshire, Director of the UK Medical Research Council’s Clinical Trials Unit. “The UK government through the Department for International Development and Medical Research Council (MRC) has been strongly supportive of the Microbicide Development Programme co-ordinated by the MRC Clinical Trials Unit and Imperial College, involving many collaborators in Africa and the United Kingdom.”

“We are gratified that the G8 has recognized the importance of microbicides in the fight against HIV/AIDS. I am confident that with political leadership, sufficient financial resources, collaborative efforts and product development expertise, a microbicide will be available to women in Africa to help control the HIV/AIDS pandemic,” said Dr. Zeda Rosenberg, Chief Executive Officer of the International Partnership for Microbicides.

“Now the G8 must follow through on its commitment and dramatically scale up funding for research and development of microbicides, which could save millions of lives. Investment in microbicides must double to US$280 million per year,” said Dr. Polly Harrison, Director of the Alliance for Microbicide Development.

“Today’s announcement from the G8 is an important step forward for the world’s women, who desperately need a method of HIV prevention that they can initiate, rather than rely on men’s willingness to be faithful or to use condoms,” said Lori Heise, Director of the Global Campaign for Microbicides.

Manju Chatani, the Coordinator of the African Microbicides Advocacy Group, added, “We believe a microbicide will provide a powerful new option for African women to protect themselves. We encourage the G8 to also support efforts towards preparing for future access to effective microbicides, now.”

Microbicides are products such as gels or creams that could be applied topically to the vagina, reducing transmission of HIV during sexual intercourse. Studies of various formulations are underway and include a vaginal ring designed to release a microbicide slowly over time. An effective microbicide could kill or otherwise immobilize HIV; form a barrier between the virus and vaginal tissue; boost the vagina’s natural defenses against HIV; or prevent the virus from replicating after it enters the cells in the vagina.

The African Microbicides Advocacy Group (AMAG) is a coalition of microbicide advocates from organisations and institutions based and/or working in various African countries. AMAG was launched in March 2004 at the International Microbicides Conference 2004. http://www.global-campaign.org/amag.htm

The Alliance for Microbicide Development is a global, multisectoral, multidisciplinary coalition founded to foster the development of microbicides to prevent HIV/AIDS through advocacy, communication, convening and addressing critical problems in practice and policy. http://www.microbicide.org/

The Global Campaign for Microbicides is an international movement of activists, citizens and non profit organizations dedicated to accelerating access to new HIV prevention tools, especially for women. http://www.global-campaign.org/

The International Partnership for Microbicides was established to accelerate the development and accessibility of microbicides to prevent the transmission of HIV. Through the screening of compounds, designing optimal formulations, establishing manufacturing capacity, developing trial sites and conducting access studies, the organization works to improve the efficiency of all efforts to develop and deliver safe and effective microbicides as soon as possible. http://www.ipm-microbicides.org/

http://www.microbicide.org
http://www.global-campaign.org

Source: International Partnership for Microbicides

Second-generation proteasome inhibitors open the way to new therapies in oncology and provide a further validation of Cytomics’ UbiScreen screening technology

PARIS, July 8, 2005 - Cytomics Systems, a biopharmaceutical company pioneering the discovery of small molecules that control the degradation of proteins, today announces that it has identified compounds able to inhibit the in vitro proliferation of human cancer cells. These molecules act on the non-catalytic activities of the proteasome and represent a new generation of proteasome inhibitors with potential to create new therapies for use in the fight against cancer.

Cytomics used its proprietary high-throughput cell-based screening technology, UbiScreen(R) to identify these new compounds. UbiScreen(R) is a platform designed to help develop candidate molecules targeting the Ubiquitin-proteasome protein degradation pathway. The announcement follows Cytomics’ earlier success in preclinical trials of its hospital-acquired fungal infection treatment using molecules also identified through UbiScreen(R).

In vitro experiments carried out by Cytomics show that the new molecules target the regulating subunits of the proteasome and should provide more efficacy and selectivity than the compounds targeting the catalytic activities of the proteasome.

At present, only one drug on the market targets the Ubiquitin-proteasome pathway and it has been very successful in treating multi-resistant myeloma from both a therapeutic and a commercial point of view.

“The identification of these molecules is a further proof of the efficacy of Cytomics’ UbiScreen(R) platform,” said Dr Cécile Bougeret, Director of Research and Development at Cytomics Systems. “Using UbiScreen(R), we can select molecules of therapeutic interest which regulate the degradation of proteins by the Ubiquitin-proteasome pathway.”

Cytomics Systems will further optimize the newly identified molecules and expects to carry out in vivo experiments in early 2006. These tests will be carried out on nude mice xenografted with human cancer cells. Assuming positive results, Cytomics will move them into pre-clinical trials.

“With this second series of molecules, Cytomics has taken a significant stride forward,” said Dominique Thomas, president of Cytomics Systems. “We now believe that our molecules should lead to significant improvements in the treatment of several types of cancer.”

About the Ubiquitin Proteasome pathway: The Ubiquitin Proteasome pathway is the universal process of protein degradation in human cells. Ubiquitin ligases are the key enzymes that regulate this degradation by attaching a Ubiquitin “label” to the proteins that are to be destroyed. The proteins with this tag are recognized and eliminated by the Proteasome which then breaks them down into inactive peptides. By regulating the concentration of proteins present in a cell, the Ubiquitin pathway plays a key role in a large number of cellular processes, including regulation of the cellular cycle and immune response, the control of gene expression, and apoptosis or cell-death. Faults in the degradation of certain proteins are known to cause major pathologies including cancer, inflammatory disease and neurodegenerative diseases as has been pointed out by the Swedish Academy of Science when the Nobel Prize for Chemistry 2004 was awarded to the team who discovered this mechanism.

About Cytomics Systems: www.cytomics.fr Cytomics Systems, Paris, is a biopharmaceutical company pioneering the discovery and development of small molecules that control the degradation of proteins to treat major human diseases such as cancer and hospital-acquired fungal infections. The company was founded in 2000 by Dr Dominique Thomas, director of research at the CNRS Center for Molecular Genetics, and internationally recognized for his work in the field of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway for protein degradation. Cytomics has so far raised EUR3M from SGAM (Société Générale Asset Management) and has 15 employees. The company has developed a highly innovative high-throughput screening technology, UbiScreen(R) for the discovery of new therapeutic molecules controlling the degradation of target proteins. Cytomics is initially using this technology to target fungal hospital-acquired infections and some types of cancer. Favorable preclinical results demonstrate how effective these molecules can be.

One of the largest and most thorough studies to date finds that regular use of low-dose aspirin and vitamin E won’t help prevent cancer — at least not in women. Results from the Women’s Health Study, published in two papers in this week’s Journal of the American Medical Association, provide some of the strongest evidence yet in the ongoing debate about the role of these compounds in cancer prevention.

The study, run by doctors at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, involved nearly 40,000 healthy women 45 and older. Half of them were randomly assigned to take a low dose of aspirin (100 mg) every other day while the rest were given a placebo, or dummy pill. Likewise, half of them were randomly assigned to take 600 IU (international units) of vitamin E every other day, while the rest received a placebo.

Researchers tracked the women for an average of 10 years to determine whether either compound had an effect on cancer (the vitamin E portion also looked at its effect on heart disease).

They found no differences in overall cancer rates or cancer deaths between women who did or did not take aspirin or between women who did or did not take vitamin E.

The researchers also looked at rates of specific types of cancer, including breast, colon, and lung. Taking vitamin E did not have any effect on any type of cancer. Taking aspirin also did not have any effect on breast or colon cancer. Results for lung cancer were less clear; aspirin seemed to give women some protection from getting lung cancer, but the finding wasn’t statistically significant. Aspirin also seemed to protect women from dying from lung cancer, but the researchers said this finding might be due to chance.

more…

DENVER–(BUSINESS WIRE)–July 7, 2005–Ceragenix Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (”Ceragenix”) (OTCBB:CGXP) today announced that two of its lead Cationic Steroid Antibiotic (”CSA”) compounds have been accepted by the National Cancer Institute’s (”NCI”) Developmental Therapeutics Program (”DTP”) to evaluate the compounds’ potential activity in inhibiting the growth of tumor blood supply. Researchers at a leading cancer center in Canada have found these compounds to possess activity similar to human angiostatins in one in vitro model. The DTP Angiogenesis Resource Center’s activities include the assessment of the in vitro and in vivo potential of anti-angiogenic therapies. The initial evaluation of Ceragenix’s compounds will be in three in vitro models: (1) the growth inhibition assay; (2) the cord formation assay; and (3) the cell migration assay. Compounds are selected for further testing by NCI on the basis of their activity in at least one of the above assays.

Compounds that have the ability to selectively target and inhibit the growth of new blood vessels have potential application in anti-cancer therapies and in the treatment of certain diseases such as Advanced Macular Degeneration (”AMD”), a devastating eye disease that may lead to total blindness. In cancer therapy, the most dangerous tumors are the ones that are growing quickly and require new blood vessels to fuel their growth. Scientists believe that one potentially effective means to inhibit such growth is to starve the tumor of its blood supply. The blood vessels that feed tumor cells differ from normal blood vessels in that they contain negatively charged lipids on their surface. The CSAs are positively charged molecules that in prior published research have been shown to have a very high affinity for such negatively charged compounds.

Steven S. Porter, Chairman and CEO of Ceragenix commented: “While we first became interested in the CSAs for their use for new topical antibiotic therapies, continued experience with these compounds, assisted by the guidance of the medical literature, has made us aware that they also have potential as anti-viral and anti-cancer agents. We are pleased that the NCI has accepted these compounds into their screening program and look forward to reviewing the results of the testing.”

About Ceragenix

Ceragenix is a development-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on dermatology, infectious diseases, and oncology. Ceragenix’s patented Barrier Repair Technology, invented by Dr. Peter Elias and licensed from the University of California, is the platform for the development of two prescription topical creams — EpiCeram(tm) and NeoCeram(tm) — that form human-identical skin barriers. Defects in the skin’s barrier function play critical roles in the pathogenesis of skin diseases such as eczema, irritant contact dermatitis, and other common skin disorders. The Company’s patented Cationic Steroid Antibiotic (CSA) technology provides the basis for its novel antimicrobial medical device coating that may be attached to various medical devices to provide potentially long duration antimicrobial activity. Ceragenix also plans to develop CSAs for use as topical and systemic antibiotic therapies in the treatment of skin infections (MRSA), burn wound infections, eye infections, and other indications.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a safe harbor for forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the following: the ability of the company to raise sufficient capital to finance its planned activities, receiving the necessary marketing clearance approvals from the FDA, successful clinical trials of the company’s planned products, the ability of the company to commercialize its planned products, market acceptance of the company’s planned products, and the company’s ability to successfully compete in the marketplace. Although management believes that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements are reasonable, any of the assumptions could prove inaccurate and, therefore, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking statements, the inclusion of such information should not be regarded as a representation by the company or any other person that the objectives and plans of the company will be achieved. For further information, please see the company’s filings with the SEC, including its Forms SB-2, 10-KSB, 10-QSB, and 8-K. The company assumes no obligation to update its forward-looking statements to reflect actual results or changes in factors affecting such forward-looking statements.

SAN DIEGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–July 7, 2005–Maxim Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq:MAXM) (STO:MAXM) announced today the issuance of U.S. Patent 6,906,203, entitled “Substituted 4H-Chromene and Analogs as Activators of Caspases and Inducers of Apoptosis and the Use Thereof.” The issued patent covers a novel class of potent apoptosis inducers with vascular targeting activity that inhibit microtubule formation. The lead compound in this series is MX2407 (MX116407), which has strong antitumor activity in pre-clinical in vitro and in vivo studies and is being advanced for clinical development.

Maxim Apoptosis Modulator Discovery Platform

Cancerous cells often exhibit unchecked growth caused by the disabling or absence of the natural process of programmed cell death called apoptosis. Apoptosis is normally triggered to destroy a cell from within when it outlives its purpose or it is seriously damaged. One of the most promising approaches in the fight against cancer is to selectively induce apoptosis in cancer cells, thereby checking, and perhaps reversing, the improper cell growth.

Maxim researchers can efficiently identify new cancer drug candidates and molecular targets that selectively induce apoptosis in cancer cells through the use of chemical genetics and our proprietary live cell high-throughput caspase-3 screening technology. Chemical genetics is a research approach investigating the effect of small molecule drug candidates on the cellular activity of a protein, enabling researchers to determine the protein’s function. Using this approach with its proprietary caspase-3 screening technology, Maxim researchers can focus their investigation on the cellular activity of small molecule drug candidates and their relationship to apoptosis. The focus on apoptosis is achieved by screening for the activity of caspase-3, an enzyme with an essential role in cleaving other important proteins necessary to cause cell death through apoptosis.

This combination of chemical genetics and caspase-3 screening technology allows Maxim’s researchers to discover and rapidly test the effect of small molecules on pathways and molecular targets crucial to apoptosis, and gain insights into their potential as new anticancer agents. Our screening technology is particularly versatile and can be adapted for almost any cell type that can be cultured, and it can measure caspase activation inside multiple cell types (e.g. cancer cells, immune cells, or cell lines from different organ systems or genetically engineered cells). This allows researchers to find potential drug candidates that are selective for specific cancer types, which may help identify candidates that provide increased therapeutic benefit and reduced toxicity.

The versatility of the platform also allows for applications beyond cancer, such as inflammatory disease where we have developed an assay to identify immunosuppressive agents that selectively induce apoptosis in activated B and T cells.

Maxim’s high-throughput screening capabilities allow researchers to screen approximately 30,000 compounds per day. To date, this program has identified several families of compounds with potentially novel mechanisms that induce apoptosis in cancer cells. Four compounds from within these families have progressed to lead drug candidate status with proven pre-clinical efficacies in tumor models and identified molecular targets.

Maxim Overview

Maxim Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing innovative cancer therapeutics. Maxim has completed one Phase 3 clinical trial of Ceplene(TM) plus Interleukin-2 combination therapy as a remission maintenance therapy for patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. The Company is currently seeking a strategic partnership to further develop the compound and to complete commercialization. Maxim is also engaged in the discovery and development of small-molecule apoptosis inducers to treat various cancers. This program has identified four lead candidates that are proceeding to clinical trials independently and through collaborations.

Apoptosis compounds and Ceplene are investigational drugs and have not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or any international regulatory agency.

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements include statements regarding the Company’s patents, the efficacy, safety and intended utilization of the Company’s apoptosis compounds and Ceplene, the conduct and results of the Company’s preclinical research and clinical trials, the Company’s plans regarding regulatory filings, future research and clinical trials and plans regarding partnering activities and attempts to identify new strategic opportunities which may include a strategic transaction. Such statements are only predictions and the Company’s actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause such differences include risks associated with protecting our intellectual property, the risk that products that appeared promising in early research and clinical trials do not demonstrate safety or efficacy in larger-scale or later clinical trials, the risk that the Company will not obtain approval to market its products, the risks associated with the Company’s reliance on outside financing to meet its capital requirements, and the risks associated with the Company’s reliance on collaborative partners for further clinical trials, development and commercialization of product candidates and the risk that the Company may not be able to identify acceptable strategic opportunities or conclude any strategic transaction which it does identify. These factors and others are more fully discussed in the Company’s periodic reports and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

http://www.maxim.com

Chemir Pharma Services has changed its name to Azopharma in response to extensive growth and commitment as a contract pharmaceutical services provider.

At Azopharma, we continue to support Specific Stand-Alone cGMP Services and complete Phase I Development Programs, including the manufacturing of clinical trial material.

Azopharma’s Phase I Express enables pharmaceutical companies to move quickly and efficiently toward clinical trials. Phase I Express includes preformulation, formulation, analytical R&D, QC release, stability, manufacturing, packaging and labeling of clinical supplies for Phase I development.

“Timing is a critical factor on the road to successful clinical study,” explains Phil Meeks, CEO of Azopharma. “We can now assist our customers in all phases of drug development for Phase I clinical supplies. Our Phase I Express will raise the bar in the industry and bring unsurpassed speed to the development of clinical materials.”

“In product development, it all comes down to the scientists, their commitment and the application of experience. Partnering with the right people with the right experience can give you the confidence of assured success. Over the past two years, we have experienced significant growth…thanks to our customers’ belief in us and our service and commitment to them. We have stayed true to our corporate values,” says Phil Meeks.

ABOUT AZOPHARMA (CONTRACT PHARMACEUTICAL SERVICES)
Azopharma helps bring new medicines to the marketplace. FDA registered and cGMP compliant, this full-service contract research and development organization supports the development and commercialization of pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device products. Capabilities include synthetic chemistry, characterization services, preformulation evaluations, formulations development, methods development/validation, quality control testing and stability studies.

At Azopharma, we are passionate for science, focused on customers and persistent in successful contract pharmaceutical product development.

Contact: Phil Meeks, CEO, Azopharma
10320 USA Today Way
Miramar, FL 33025
1 (954) 433-7480
www.azopharma.com