Bio Screening Industry News

KARWAR: While representatives of 192 countries are engaged in climate change debates at Copenhagen, Dr Ullas Naik, a marine scientist at the department of marine biology, at Karnatak University’s PG Centre, here has suggested the unassuming sea weed as a possible cure to the planet’s ills.Calling for the scientific culture of algae, commonly known as sea weed and its conservation and protection, Naik points out that these algae provide much of the earth’s oxygen. They absorb carbon dioxide from the environment and carry out photosynthesis to enhance the productivity.Naik, who presented a paper on his findings at a seminar at the university recently, says the discovery has shown that these marine weeds have a remarkable ability to detoxify serious organic pollutants such as TNT or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.According to him, these algae have an intrinsic ability to detoxify TNT 5-10 times faster than any known terrestrial plant.Since some of the marine organisms, particularly marine invertebrates like clamps, shrimp, oyster or crab, the staple food for many, tend to accumulate toxins, growth of sea weeds will have important implications for sea food safety, he asserts.Marine algae contain protein (5- 10%), fat (0.5-1.5%), ash (10-18%), fibre (3-6%) and carbohydrates (40-60%). He says they are rich in minerals and vitamins and can be used as food.The bioactive compound found in seaweeds have variety of applications in pharmaceutical field. Naik says attempts should be made for screening pharmaceutically active compounds from seaweeds. In fact, seaweeds will be the medicinal food of this century, Naik opines.Cautioning that these “wonderful marine species’’ should be explored scientifically, he says they can be used as manure and fodder.

* AEOL 10150 Effectively Increases Regeneration of GI Stem Cells and Reduces the
Severity and Duration of Diarrhea
* Drug Improves Survival When Administered 24 Hours after Total Body
Irradiation

MISSION VIEJO, Calif.--(Business Wire)--
Aeolus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTCBB: AOLS) announced today that recent
experiments in preclinical models conducted by the National Institutes of
Health`s (NIH), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Radiation/Nuclear Medical Countermeasure Development program have shown that
AEOL 10150 can effectively increase regeneration of gastro-intestinal (GI) stem
cells, reduce the severity and duration of diarrhea and improve survival when
administered at 24 hours after doses of total-body irradiation that produce the
lethal GI syndrome. There are no published studies of agents that accomplish
this enhanced stem cell regenerative effect while maintaining GI function and
improving survival when administered post irradiation.

"The Aeolus drug AEOL 10150 passed our first phase of rigorous testing and
showed definitive effects on crypt stem cells and other secondary parameters
used to assess drug efficacy in ameliorating the acute GI syndrome," stated
Catherine Booth, Ph.D., Managing Director, Contract Research Services at
Epistem, Ltd. "This is one of few drugs shown to affect 'both' stem cell crypt
regeneration and survival in a syndrome that heretofore has been resistant to
mitigation with drugs administered at 24 hours post lethal exposure."

NIAID has a contract with the University of Maryland to provide product
development support services for the development of countermeasures against
radiation exposure. These studies are being conducted by Epistem, a
subcontractor of the University of Maryland, in compliance with criteria of the
FDA that are a pre-requisite for movement of the Aeolus drug along the pathway
for FDA licensure to treat lethally irradiated persons in the event of a
terrorist nuclear act. Epistem operates a major contract research organization
and provides services to identify novel drugs that can protect or improve the
repair of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract following exposure to irradiation and
performed these studies as part of its US NIH`s program for the screening of a
novel agents for bio-defense applications.

The NIH NIAID Radiation/Nuclear Medical Countermeasure Development program leads
the U.S. effort to develop treatments for radiation sickness following a nuclear
terrorist attack. GI-ARS is a massive, currently untreatable, problem following
high-dose, potentially lethal radiation exposure. Agents that mitigate these
effects would reduce sickness and hopefully prevent fatalities. The tests
performed by NIH/NIAID are also likely to identify agents with oncology
supportive care applications - agents that will reduce the severe ulceration and
diarrhea (mucositis) experienced by patients during radio- and chemo-therapy.
Risk of injury to the intestine is dose-limiting during abdominal and pelvic
radiation therapy-interventions that limit post-irradiation intestinal
dysfunction would have significant impact in large number of patients, estimated
to be between 1.5 to 2 million cancer survivors with post-irradiation intestinal
dysfunction. AEOL 10150 has previously demonstrated protective effects in
protecting healthy normal cells from damage occurring due to cancer radiation
therapy in preclinical models.

Radiation Damage to the GI Tract

The intestinal epithelium, a single layer of cells lining the surface of the GI
lumen, is responsible for vital functions of nutrient absorption, maintaining
fluid and electrolyte balance and protection of the body from bacteria,
bacterial toxins and non absorbed materials. The functional integrity of the GI
system is maintained via incessant production of epithelial cells from
specialized stem cells located in crypts at the base of the epithelium.
High-dose, total-body irradiation can result in a lethal GI syndrome that
results in significant morbidity and mortality within days consequent to killing
of the crypt stem cells and loss of the protective and absorptive epithelial
barrier. There are no FDA-approved drugs or biologics to treat the acute GI
syndrome.

About AEOL 10150

AEOL 10150 is a small molecule that catalytically consumes reactive oxygen and
nitrogen species (free radicals). The compound is a manganoporphyrin that
contains a positively-charged manganese metal ion that is able to accept and
give electrons to and from reactive oxygen species ("ROS") and reactive nitrogen
species ("RNS"). Research has shown that ROS and RNS have important cell
signaling roles, and through its interaction with RNS and ROS, AEOL 10150
appears to have multiple mechanisms of action including anti-oxidant,
anti-inflammatory and anti-angiogenic activities. In preclinical studies AEOL
10150 has demonstrated reductions in the markers for tissue hypoxia,
angiogenesis, inflammation and oxidative stress. Specifically, AEOL 10150 is
able to down-regulate oxidative stress and severe inflammation, which is
responsible for much of the tissue destruction that occurs as a result of
radiation exposure.

AEOL 10150 offers several unique advantages as a countermeasure for the
treatment of ARS, mustard gas and chlorine gas for civilian and military
populations. These include:

-- Flexible Treatment Paradigm - AEOL 10150 is intended for the treatment of
patients post-exposure, even in those who are already exhibiting symptoms,
eliminating the need for immediate administration in a predefined treatment
window. This approach has the added benefit of not requiring biodosimetry (a
means of laboratory analysis of the blood to determine the level of radiation
exposure).

-- Advanced Development Stage - AEOL 10150 has demonstrated safety in three
human clinical trials, and has an extensive pre-clinical safety and toxicology
package completed. The product also has an established stability profile that
permits long-term storage.

-- Large scale manufacturing - Aeolus has contract capacity with a large
manufacturing site to mass produce large quantities of AEOL 10150 under GMP
conditions.

-- Multiple Applications - AEOL 10150 has demonstrated protective effects
against radiation and mustard gas exposure, and within these indications has
shown the ability to treat multiple organ systems.

-- Commercial Application - Additionally, AEOL 10150 is being developed for use
as an adjunct to cancer radiation therapy, and preclinical data suggest that the
compound protects healthy normal cells from the effects of radiation without
compromising the efficacy of the radiation in killing tumor cells.

Potential for AEOL 10150 as a Countermeasure Against Multiple Terrorist Threats

AEOL 10150 has shown significant protective effects against radiation and
mustard gas in preclinical models. Additionally, based on its mechanism, it is
believed that the compound may potentially protect against exposure to chlorine
gas. Studies have been initiated to further explore AEOL 10150`s ability to
protect the lungs from damage due to exposure to mustard gas and chlorine gas. A
compound with the potential to protect against multiple threats would be of
significant benefit in both the military and civilian efforts to protect
citizens against potential threats. The FDA has a special rule under which
compounds may be approved for use against chemical and nuclear threats on the
strength of preclinical efficacy studies, which allows the potential for an
accelerated approval path versus conventional pharmaceutical applications.

About Aeolus Pharmaceuticals

Aeolus is developing a variety of therapeutic agents based on its proprietary
small molecule catalytic antioxidants, with AEOL 10150 being the first to enter
human clinical evaluation. AEOL 10150 is a patented, small molecule catalytic
antioxidant that mimics and thereby amplifies the body`s natural enzymatic
systems for eliminating reactive oxygen species, or free radicals. Studies
funded by the National Institutes for Health are currently underway evaluating
AEOL 10150 as a treatment for exposure to radiation, mustard gas and chlorine
gas. Additionally, the Company has funded mouse and non-human primate studies
necessary to seek approval of the compound as a treatment to protect and/or
mitigate radiation-induced damage to the lungs for which there are no
FDA-approved drugs. Radiation-induced pneumonits and/or fibrosis are potentially
lethal delayed effects of acute radiation exposure. The ability to control these
delayed consequences will also translate into the clinic and further emphasize
the dual utility of AEOL 10150.

About Epistem, Ltd.

Epistem is a biotechnology company commercializing its expertise in epithelial
stem cells in the areas of oncology, gastrointestinal diseases and
dermatological applications. Epistem develops innovative therapeutics and
biomarkers and provides contract research services to drug development
companies. The Group`s expertise is focused on the regulation of adult stem
cells located in epithelial tissue, which includes the gastrointestinal tract,
skin, hair follicles, breast and prostate. Epistem does not conduct research in
the areas of embryonic stem cells or stem cell transplantation. Epistem operates
three distinct business divisions, Contract Research Services, Novel Therapies
and Biomarkers.

Epistem`s Contract Research Services division provides scientific expertise and
preclinical research models to the NIH`s research programme on Radiation/Nuclear
Medical Countermeasure Development. This research programme, funded by the
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases through a contract with
the University of Maryland School of Medicine, tests drugs from early screening
through advanced development for the prevention and treatment of radiation
sickness following exposure to high dose radiation following a nuclear terrorist
attack. Epistem has developed its proprietary models to provide a unique insight
into the mechanisms of intestinal damage and repair following radiation
exposure. Epistem`s models evaluate the efficacy, mechanism of action, optimal
drug dosing and scheduling of potential new treatments. Epistem has an
eight-year track record of providing testing services to over 130 international
company clients in the United States, Europe, and Japan.

The statements in this press release that are not purely statements of
historical fact are forward-looking statements. Such statements include, but are
not limited to, those relating to Aeolus` product candidates, as well as its
proprietary technologies and research programs. Such forward-looking statements
involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause
Aeolus` actual results to be materially different from historical results or
from any results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.
Important factors that could cause results to differ include risks associated
with uncertainties of progress and timing of clinical trials, scientific
research and product development activities, difficulties or delays in
development, testing, obtaining regulatory approval, the need to obtain funding
for pre-clinical and clinical trials and operations, the scope and validity of
intellectual property protection for Aeolus` product candidates, proprietary
technologies and their uses, and competition from other biopharmaceutical
companies. Certain of these factors and others are more fully described in
Aeolus` filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not
limited to, Aeolus` Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30,
2008. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.

Aeolus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
John L. McManus
President and Chief Executive Officer
1-949-481-9825
Source: reuters.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009

A team led by scientists from The Scripps Research Institute has developed a method that dramatically improves the efficiency of creating stem cells from human adult tissue, without the use of embryonic cells. The research makes great strides in addressing a major practical challenge in the development of stem-cell-based medicine.

The findings were published in an advance, online issue of the journal Nature Methods on Sunday.

The new technique, which uses three small drug-like chemicals, is 200 times more efficient and twice as fast as conventional methods for transforming adult human cells into stem cells (in this case called “induced pluripotent stem cells” or “iPS cells”).

“Both in terms of speed and efficiency, we achieved major improvements over conventional conditions,” said Scripps Research Associate Professor Sheng Ding, Ph.D., who led the study. “This is the first example in human cells of how reprogramming speed can be accelerated. I believe that the field will quickly adopt this method, accelerating iPS cell research significantly.”

In addition to its significant practical advantages, the development of the technique deepens the understanding of the biology behind the transformation of adult human cells into stem cells.

The hope of most researchers in the field is that one day it will be possible to use stem cells - which possess the ability to develop into many other distinct cell types, such as nerve, heart, or lung cells - to repair damaged tissue from any number of diseases, from Type 1 diabetes to Parkinson’s disease, as well as from injuries. The creation of iPS cells from adult cells sidesteps ethical concerns associated with the use of embryonic stem cells, and allows the generation of stem cells matched to a patient’s own immune system, avoiding the problem of tissue rejection.

The creation of human iPS cells was first announced in December 2007 by two labs, one in Japan and another in Wisconsin. In both cases, the teams used viruses to insert multiple copies of four genes (eg. c-Myc, Oct4, Sox2, Klf4) into the genome of skin cells. These four genes then produced transcription factors turning on and off other genes, and pushing the cell to “dedifferentiate” into stem cells.

While the work was a major breakthrough, it left two major challenges for the field to solve before iPS cell therapy could be considered of any potential practical use. The first involved safety, since the technique relied on potentially harmful genetic manipulation, and worse yet, the insertion of two known cancer-causing genes (c-Myc and Oct4). The second problem was the length and inefficiency of the iPS cell process, which had a success rate of roughly one in 10,000 cells and took about four weeks from start to finish.

Ding and colleagues essentially solved the first problem, the reliance on genetic manipulation, earlier this year in a paper published in Cell Stem Cell (Volume 4, Issue 5, May 8, 2009). In the paper, the researchers demonstrated that they could use purified proteins to transform adult cells all the way back to the most primitive embryonic-like cells, avoiding the problems associated with inserting genes.

In the current paper, the team makes major strides in solving the second problem, efficiency.

In developing the improved method, Ding drew on his knowledge of biology. He decided he would focus his efforts on manipulating a naturally occurring process in cells, in particular in a type of adult cell called fibroblasts, which give rise to connective tissue.

This naturally occurring process - called MET (mesenchymal to ephithelial cell transition) - pushes fibroblasts closer to a stem-cell-like state. If he could manipulate such a fundamental process to encourage MET and the formation of stem cells, Ding reasoned, such a method would be both safer and more direct than hijacking other aspects of biology, for example those directly involved in cancer.

“People have studied this mechanism for 10 to 20 years,” said Ding. “It is a fundamental mechanism.”

Ding and colleagues tested a number of drug-like molecules, looking for those that inhibited the TGF (transforming growth factor beta) and the MEK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) pathways, which are known to be involved in the MET process. The researchers identified the most active compounds, then looked at their effects on stem cell creation when used singly and in combination.

The researchers found two chemicals - ALK5 inhibitor SB43142 and MEK inhibitor PD0325901 - used in combination were highly effective in promoting the transformation of fibroblasts into stem cells.

“This method is the first in human cells that is mechanism-specific for the reprogramming process,” said Ding.

And the two-chemical technique bested the efficiency of the classic genetic method by 100 times.

Efficient, Fast, Safe

But the researchers thought they might be able to do even better.

Attempting to increase the efficiency of the process even further, the team decided to enlist another natural pathway, the cell survival pathway. After screening a library of compounds targeting this pathway, the team focused on a novel compound called Thiazovivin.

The researchers found that a technique using Thiazovivin in combination with the two previously selected chemicals, SB43142 and PD0325901, beat the efficiency of the classic method by 200 times.

In addition, while the classic method required four weeks to complete, the new method took two weeks.

In addition to its virtues of speed and efficiency, Ding emphasizes that the safety profile of the new method is highly promising. Not only is the method based on natural biological processes, he said, but also the type of molecules used have all been tested in humans.

In addition to Ding, the article, “A Chemical Platform for Improved Induction of Human iPS Cells,” was authored by Tongxiang Lin (first author), Rajesh Ambasudhan, Xu Yuan1, Wenlin Li, Simon Hilcove, Ramzey Abujarour, Xiangyi Lin, and Heung Sik Hahm of Scripps Research, and Ergeng Hao and Alberto Hayek of The Whittier Institute for Diabetes, University of California San Diego.

The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health and Fate Therapeutics.

Source: lajollalight.com

High-content screening (HCS) and the technology to do it faster, on more compounds in a shorter period of time, and to generate quantitative, multiparametric data took center stage at CHI’s “High Content East” meeting held in Boston last month. Presenters described how they are implementing enhanced screening systems, image-analysis methods, and data-management strategies to achieve daily HCS runs on tens of thousands of wells and screening campaigns totaling 200,000 to 3 million wells.

High throughput HCS—albeit not yet reaching the numbers common for conventional high-throughput screening (HTS) and with lingering limitations and challenges related to live-cell imaging over time—is making its mark and being used to probe the biological basis of disease and to detect even subtle phenotypic changes in response to experimental compounds.

Determining whether a cell looks like a cancer cell, for example, typically requires being able to detect subtle morphological changes, such as small alterations in size or structure, changes in the connections a cell makes with neighboring cells, or variations in the texture of staining. These have, historically, been mainly qualitative parameters detected by studying and comparing images of cells.

In her talk at the conference, Anne Carpenter, Ph.D., director of the imaging platform at the Broad Institute of Harvard University and MIT, presented her group’s work using HCS and image analysis to quantify difficult phenotypes and differentiate disease states such as leukemia.

Not only do HCS systems and image-analysis software automate the screening process, enabling theanalysis of many more cells in less time and increasing the chances of detecting even small numbers of altered cells, they can also utilize algorithms that evaluate defined combinations of parameters in a quantifiable manner and apply techniques to distinguish between clumping or closely juxtaposed cells. Relying on computer-based image analysis also standardizes the process, eliminating factors such as variability in human expertise and experience, consistency, and fatigue.

Dr. Carpenter’s group uses machine-learning methods to train image-analysis software to identify subtle phenotypic changes. Biologists work with the software in an iterative fashion in a process called supervised machine learning. They teach and correct the computers on a series of test images, refining the system’s knowledge base in a process that typically takes less than a day. The group developed the algorithms used by the biologists and has made them available as open-source software.

A recent paper published in PNAS by T. R. Jones, et al., documents the use of a trained image-analysis system to discriminate 15 different cellular phenotypes. Other projects involve teaching the software to discriminate leukemic from normal cells, to identify liver cells that are growing normally in culture—to aid in the development of physiologic models of liver function for use in drug testing—and training computers to detect subtle changes that signal the initiation of cell division for studying cell-cycle regulation in cancer.

Neil Carragher, Ph.D., senior scientist in the advanced science and technology laboratory at AstraZeneca, described how the company is applying high-content and live-cell imaging techniques and integrating the results with data derived from in vivo imaging and proteomic studies to improve clinical predictability.

Dr. Carragher’s group combines the results of high-content in vitro and in vivo assays to generate mechanistic information about phenotypic responses on candidate therapeutic compounds. The goal is to create a multiparametric fingerprint of a phenotype from images generated by HCS and to use this knowledge to enhance predictions of efficacy and toxicity early in drug discovery and reduce attrition later in development.

The phenotypic signatures are based on measurements of approximately 150 different parameters per cell for each assay. Data from multiple assays is collated for every test compound and compared with data obtained using well-characterized reference compounds to generate mechanistic hypotheses.

Only recently has open-source and commercial software become available “that allows you to quantitate more complex phenotypes, subtle changes, and heterogeneous responses from images,” Dr. Carragher said.

His group is employing two main approaches—each with different advantages and limitations. The first strategy relies on Definiens’ Cognition Network Technology™ software that allows users to develop algorithms that capture, computationally, what researchers can see visually. “It is very much context-based” and identifies objects based on how they are related to others in the image, rather than as individual pixels, explained Dr. Carragher. The in-house algorithm-development process depends on iterative programming steps. The other approach involves machine-learning tools using software such as the CellProfiler developed at the Broad Institute.

Redirecting Approved Drugs

- Adrian Sheldon, Ph.D., Positions Contract Research Organization for Growth -
WORCESTER, Mass.--(Business Wire)--
Agilux Laboratories, Inc., a Contract Research Organization (CRO) that provides
bioanalytical and in vitro Absorption Distribution Metabolism Excretion
Toxicology (ADMET) services for the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries,
has appointed Dr. Adrian Sheldon as associate director of In Vitro ADMET
Services. In this role, Dr. Sheldon will build the In Vitro ADMET Services
division offering testing services that allow biotechnology and pharmaceutical
companies to screen drug candidates for desirable ADMET properties. Dr. Sheldon
will leverage more than 17 years of industry experience, including establishing
new business units for In Vitro ADMET and Immunochemistry within an established
CRO. He will extend Agilux`s emphasis on customer service, rapid turnaround and
exceptional data quality to the company`s newly formed In Vitro ADMET Services
Testing Division.

"We are excited to have someone with Adrian`s expertise, successful track record
and demonstrated abilities at Agilux," said Jim Jersey, president and CEO at
Agilux. "Adrian brings the right balance of scientific expertise and customer
focus, which is consistent with Agilux`s mission of delivering high quality data
at unprecedented speeds. We are confident that both the Agilux team and our
clients will benefit from his unique skill set."

Prior to Agilux, Dr. Sheldon served as associate director of In Vitro ADMET at
Charles River Laboratories. Prior to Charles River Laboratories, Dr. Sheldon was
group leader in Assay Development/HTS/In Vitro ADMET at ArQule where he
co-managed a team responsible for screening compounds generated by the
industry-leading combinatorial chemistry laboratory. He received his Ph.D. from
Boston University and his A.B. from Harvard University. Dr. Sheldon has authored
numerous scientific publications and holds two patents.

"I am very pleased about joining the team at Agilux," stated Dr. Sheldon. "We
have an incredible opportunity to change the way early stage development
services are delivered and I am confident that I will be able to contribute to
Agilux`s continuing success."

About Agilux Laboratories, Inc.

Agilux Laboratories, Inc. is a privately held contract research organization
(CRO) focused on bioanlaytical and PK/PD testing services for the biotech and
pharmaceutical industries. Leveraging industry and contract research experience
of its management team, the company delivers high quality bioanlaytical
chemistry and PK/PD data more rapidly. Agilux helps clients make better
decisions during drug discovery and development by providing quality data
earlier in the research process by using technologies and systems that increase
turnaround speed well beyond industry standards. Founded in 2007 by industry
experts Jim Jersey, Steve Guyan and Peter Glick, Agilux is headquartered in
Worcester, MA and is funded by private equity firm, Ampersand Ventures. For more
information, call 508-753-5000 or email sguyan@agiliuxlabs.com. Online at
www.agiluxlabs.com.

Agilux Laboratories, Inc.
Steve Guyan
Vice President, Sales and Marketing
508-762-4402
sguyan@agiluxlabs.com

Source: Reuters

Ore Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq:ORXE), announced today the publication of an
article in the online version of the journal Inflammation Research titled,
"Effects of the ACE2 inhibitor GL1001 on acute dextran sodium sulfate-induced
colitis in mice."

This article discussed the efficacy of Ore`s lead drug candidate, ORE1001
(formerly GL1001), in the dextran sodium sulfate animal screening model for
inflammatory bowel disease drugs. The results show that treatment with ORE1001
displayed efficacy on par with that of the oral standard, sulphasalazine.
ORE1001 improved common measures of the extent of damage, such as
histopathology, in a dose-related and statistically significant manner.
Moreover, ORE1001 markedly decreased tissue myeloperoxidase activity, a
well-known marker of inflammation. The findings, when considered along with
other studies of ORE1001, support further development of the compound in
gastrointestinal inflammatory conditions. ORE1001 has progressed through
multiple dose clinical phase I testing in the U.S. and is on track to commence a
Phase Ib/IIa trial in ulcerative colitis, one of the two main disorders that
comprise inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), in the second half of 2009.

It is estimated that up to one million Americans are affected by IBD. With
typical onset in childhood or early adulthood, these disorders cause many
decades of pain and suffering and result in significant lost productivity, in
addition to the direct costs of medical and surgical care. The burden on the
U.S. healthcare system alone is significant; IBD is associated with health care
costs estimated at more than $1.7 billion. Ore believes that ORE1001, if
approved, could represent a significant enhancement to current therapies for
treating this debilitating disease.

The print article is expected to be published in an upcoming issue of
Inflammation Research. The full text article is currently available online at:
http://www.springer.com/birkhauser/biosciences/journal/11.

Ore Pharmaceuticals Overview

Ore Pharmaceuticals Inc. (the "Company") is a pharmaceutical asset management
company. The Company acquires interests in pharmaceutical assets whose value, it
believes, it can significantly enhance through targeted development, with the
goal of then monetizing these assets through a sale or out-licensing. Initially,
the Company will focus on developing and monetizing its current portfolio, which
includes four clinical-stage compounds in-licensed from major pharmaceutical
companies. The Company`s four compounds in its development portfolio are:
ORE1001, its lead compound, ORE10002, ORE5002 (tiapamil) and ORE5007
(romazarit).

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains "forward-looking statements," as such term is used
in the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such forward-looking
statements include our ability to identify strategies for making its businesses
successful and the impact of such strategies on our business and financial
performance and on shareholder value. Forward-looking statements typically
include the words "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "intend,"
"may," "will," and similar expressions as they relate to Ore Pharmaceuticals or
its management. Forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations
and assumptions, which are subject to risks and uncertainties. They are not
guarantees of our future performance or results. Our actual performance and
results could differ materially from what we project in forward-looking
statements for a variety of reasons and circumstances, including particularly
risks and uncertainties that may affect the Company`s operations, financial
condition and financial results and that are discussed in detail in the our
Annual Report on Form 10-K and our other subsequent filings with the Securities
and Exchange Commission. They include, but are not limited to: whether the
compounds we develop will be commercially viable; whether we will be able to
begin to generate sufficient new revenue from licensing or other transactions
early enough to support our operations and continuing compound development;
whether there will be valid claims for indemnification from the buyers of our
Genomics Assets; whether there will be claims from the landlords of the leased
properties we have assigned, the buyer of our Preclinical Division or the
assignee of our Cambridge facility lease, that we would be required to pay as
guarantors of such leases; whether we will be able to collect amounts due under
the terms of promissory notes from the buyers of our Genomics Assets and
molecular diagnostic business; whether we will be able to manage our existing
cash adequately and whether we will have access to financing on sufficiently
favorable terms to maintain our businesses and effect our strategies; whether we
will be able to maintain our NASDAQ listing; whether we will be able to attract
and retain qualified personnel for our business; and potential negative effects
on our operations and financial results from workforce reductions and the
transformation of our business. Ore Pharmaceuticals Inc. undertakes no
obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a
result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Ore Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Benjamin L. Palleiko
SVP & CFO
617-649-2001
bpalleiko@orepharma.com

Source: Reuters

HAMBURG, Germany and OXFORD, UK, Sept. 9, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Evotec AG
(Frankfurt:EVT) (Nasdaq:EVTC), a leading provider in the discovery and
development of novel small molecule drugs, today announced that it has entered
into a research agreement with Biogen Idec (Nasdaq:BIIB), a leading
biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., USA.

Evotec will use its expertise and technologies in protein production, assay
development and high throughput screening to identify hit molecules for Biogen
Idec. Under the research agreement Evotec will screen a target selected by
Biogen Idec with the option to add further targets as agreed. Evotec will
provide Biogen Idec with access to its full range of screening technologies and
diverse library of high quality compounds and will use its expertise in protein
production and assay development to develop new assays for the target.

Dr. Mark Ashton, Evotec's EVP, Business Development commented: "We believe that
the quality of future drug candidates is very much dependent on the
identification of high quality starting points. To this end we have established
a platform of screening technologies that have been proven to identify
high-class hit molecules. We are looking forward to working with Biogen Idec and
identifying interesting hit compounds for them."

Evotec has built a comprehensive platform of hit finding technologies that allow
it to screen challenging targets and identify new classes of hit compounds that
can be progressed towards new treatments for various diseases. These proven
screening technologies coupled with Evotec's high quality screening library have
been shown to unlock numerous biological targets and identify excellent start
points for subsequent optimization.

No financial details are disclosed.

About Evotec AG

Evotec is a leader in the discovery and development of novel small molecule
drugs. The Company has built substantial drug discovery expertise and an
industrialized platform that can drive new innovative small molecule compounds
into the clinic. In addition, Evotec has built a deep internal knowledge base in
the treatment of diseases related to neuroscience, pain, and inflammation.
Leveraging these skills and expertise the Company intends to develop
best-in-class differentiated therapeutics and deliver superior science-driven
discovery alliances with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

Evotec has long-term discovery alliances with partners including Boehringer
Ingelheim, CHDI, Novartis, Ono Pharmaceutical and Roche. The Company has a P2X7
antagonist for the treatment of inflammatory diseases in clinical development
and a series of preclinical compounds and development partnerships, including a
strategic alliance with Roche for EVT 101, a subtype selective NMDA receptor
antagonist, for use in treatment-resistant depression. For additional
information please go to www.evotec.com

Forward-looking statements

Information set forth in this press release contains forward-looking statements,
which involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking
statements include, but are not limited to, statements about our expectations
and assumptions concerning regulatory, clinical and business strategies, the
progress of our clinical development programs and timing of the results of our
clinical trials, strategic collaborations and management's plans, objectives and
strategies. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but are
subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our
control, and which could cause actual results to differ materially from those
contemplated in these forward-looking statements. In particular, the risks and
uncertainties include, among other things: risks that the Company may be unable
to reduce its cash burn through recent restructuring and cost containment
measures and may not recognize the results of such measures within the expected
timeframe; risks that product candidates may fail in the clinic or may not be
successfully marketed or manufactured; the risk that we will not achieve the
anticipated benefits of our collaborations, partnerships and acquisitions in the
timeframes expected, or at all; risks relating to our ability to advance the
development of product candidates currently in the pipeline or in clinical
trials; our inability to further identify, develop and achieve commercial
success for new products and technologies; the risk that competing products may
be more successful; our inability to interest potential partners in our
technologies and products; our inability to achieve commercial success for our
products and technologies; our inability to protect our intellectual property
and the cost of enforcing or defending our intellectual property rights; our
failure to comply with regulations relating to our products and product
candidates, including FDA requirements; the risk that the FDA may interpret the
results of our studies differently than we have; the risk that clinical trials
may not result in marketable products; the risk that we may be unable to
successfully secure regulatory approval of and market our drug candidates; and
risks of new, changing and competitive technologies and regulations in the U.S.
and internationally. The list of risks above is not exhaustive. Our most recent
Annual Report on Form 20-F, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
and other documents filed with, or furnished to the Securities and Exchange
Commission, contain additional factors that could impact our businesses and
financial performance. We expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to
release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statements to reflect any
change in our expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstance
on which any such statement is based.

Source: Reuters

BioLeap and GSK have entered into an agreement whereby BioLeap will design novel
lead compounds for "difficult" drug targets. The targets (not disclosed) are
ones for which conventional approaches, like high throughput screening, have
failed to yield a viable chemical starting point. Typically these are in areas
of high unmet medical need.

BioLeap will use its computational fragment-based drug design platform to
conceive compounds de novo that are molecularly tailored to bind to the target.
GSK will synthesize and test the compounds in biochemical and cellular assays.
The process will iterate until GSK selects a Lead Candidate. The terms of the
agreement for services were not disclosed.

David Pompliano, PhD, CEO of BioLeap said, "We are very pleased to be working
with GSK to accelerate the discovery of truly novel medicines. BioLeap`s
platform reliably predicts the effect of compound modifications on target
affinity, thus minimizing unproductive guesswork during drug discovery, and
producing a better drug candidate more quickly."

About BioLeap

BioLeap is a leader in computational fragment-based drug design. The company`s
proprietary design technology and process successfully addresses one of the
biggest problems in pre-clinical drug discovery: the limitation of drug like and
patentable leads for important biological targets. BioLeap is using its
completely "in-silico" platform to quickly and accurately predict
fragment-protein binding information that provides drug designers new insights
that enable them to efficiently create new and improved drug molecule
candidates. The BioLeap computational approach addresses the time, cost, and low
probability of success limitations imposed by traditional library screening and
lead optimization methods. BioLeap is utilizing its capabilities to advance its
own internal preclinical stage programs while collaboratively enabling
non-competing programs with numerous pharmaceutical partners.

Source: reuters.com

A multi-institutional team of Boston-area researchers has discovered a chemical that works in mice to kill the rare but aggressive cells within breast cancers that have the ability to seed new tumors.

These cells, known as cancer stem cells, are thought to enable cancers to spread — and to reemerge after seemingly successful treatment. Although further work is needed to determine whether this specific chemical holds therapeutic promise for humans, the study shows that it is possible to find chemicals that selectively kill cancer stem cells. The scientists’ findings appear in the August 13 advance online issue of Cell.

“Evidence is accumulating rapidly that cancer stem cells are responsible for the aggressive powers of many tumors,” says Robert Weinberg, a Member of Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and one of the authors of the study. “The ability to generate such cells in the laboratory, together with the powerful techniques available at the Broad Institute, made it possible to identify this chemical. There surely will be dozens of others with similar properties found over the next several years.”

“Many therapies kill the bulk of a tumor only to see it regrow,” says Eric Lander, Director of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, and an author of the Cell paper. “This raises the prospect of new kinds of anti-cancer therapies.”

An emerging idea in cancer biology is that tumors (breast, prostate, colon, lung, etc.) harbor a group of cells with the unique ability to regenerate cancers. In addition to promoting tumor growth, these so-called cancer stem cells are largely resistant to current cancer therapies. If it were possible to identify chemicals that selectively kill cancer stem cells, such chemicals might become critical candidates for future drug development.

However, researchers have struggled to study cancer stem cells directly in the laboratory. The cells’ relative scarcity compared to other tumor cells, combined with a tendency to lose their stem cell-like properties when grown outside of the body, have severely limited the amount of material available for analysis.

To overcome these hurdles, Broad and Whitehead Institute researchers drew upon recent findings from Weinberg and his colleagues that suggested a way to generate in the laboratory large numbers of cancer cells with stem cell-like qualities. The technique works by coaxing adult cells to undergo a critical change (known as an “epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition”) that alters their shape and motility. At the same time, the cells also adopt similar properties as stem cells.

“A critical aspect of our work was to generate relatively homogenous and stable populations of cancer stem-like cells that could then be used for screening,” says Tamer Onder, a former graduate student in Weinberg’s lab and co-first author of the study. (Onder is now a postdoctoral research fellow at Children’s Hospital in Boston.) “We were able to achieve this by inducing the cancer cells into an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition using novel reagents that we had developed in the lab.”

With an ample number of stem cells in hand, the Broad-Whitehead team undertook a large-scale analysis of thousands of chemical compounds, applying automated methods to search for ones with activity against breast cancer stem cells. From a pool of more than 30 promising candidates, the researchers identified a compound with surprising potency.

The compound, called salinomycin, kills not only laboratory-created cancer stem cells, but also naturally occurring ones. Compared to a common chemotherapeutic drug prescribed for breast cancer (known as paclitaxel), salinomycin reduced the number of cancer stem cells by more than 100-fold. It also diminished breast tumor growth in mice.

To further dissect the function of salinomycin, the researchers also examined its genetic effects. Previous studies of tumors from breast cancer patients have revealed groups of genes that are highly active in cancer stem cells. Many of these same genes are linked with particularly aggressive tumors and poor patient prognoses. The researchers’ studies show that salinomycin (but not paclitaxel) treatment can decrease the activity of these genes, revealing a possible molecular basis for the chemical’s biological effects.

“Our work reveals the biological effects of targeting cancer stem cells,” says co-first author Piyush Gupta, a researcher at the Broad Institute. “Moreover, it suggests a general approach to finding novel anti-cancer therapies that can be applied to any solid tumor maintained by cancer stem cells.”

Although the new findings signal a noteworthy scientific milestone, it is still too early to know whether cancer patients will reap benefits from it. Additional research is needed to determine exactly how salinomycin works to kill cancer stem cells and if it can wield the same tumor-reducing power in humans as it does in mice. These types of analyses generally take several years to complete.

But even with such tempered enthusiasm, there is also cause for optimism. In the current study, just 16,000 chemical compounds were tested, of which a small subset showed toxicity against cancer stem cells. Therefore, deeper investigations of these compounds as well additional tests of broader collections of chemicals may yield other potential additions to the anti-cancer arsenal.