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Company News: Probiodrug AG, Collaborators Explain Interplay of Key Suspects in Alzheimer’s Disease

Nature paper demonstrates that toxicity in AD is induced by pyroglutamate Abeta and is tau protein dependent

Pyroglutamate Ab (“pyroglu Ab”) a predominant, highly toxic fraction of Aβ found in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients, triggers the formation of toxic oligomers exhibiting prion-like behavior and initiating neurotoxicity via a tau protein-dependent pathway, thereby explaining the crucial role of such modified Aβ in the onset and spread of neuronal toxicity in Alzheimer’s Disease.

HALLE/SAALE, Germany, May 2, 2012 – Probiodrug AG (Probiodrug), a biotech company developing products for the treatment of neurodegenerative and inflammatory diseases with a particular focus on Alzheimer’s disease (AD), today announced its scientists and academics collaborators published seminal findings on the role of pyroglu Aβ in AD pathology in the May 2, 2012 online edition of the journal Nature (DOI: 10.1038/nature11060). The new findings add to the growing body of evidence that pyroglu Aβ plays a crucial role in the initiation of AD. In addition, the research results further elucidate the mechanism by which pyroglu Aβ triggers neuronal toxicity.

The data published today suggest that pyroglu Aβ  co-aggregates with “normal” Ab peptides to form low molecular weight oligomers (LMOs), which are structurally distinct and far more toxic to cultured neurons than oligomers derived from normal Aβ. Moreover, the presence of the neuronal protein tau is essential for toxicity mediated by LMOs that contain pyroglu Aβ.  The results have been substantiated in transgenic mice designed to express increased levels of pyroglu Aβ. In these animals, the pyroglu Aβ-mediated neuronal loss and gliosis was prevented, if tau expression was shut down. The study is supplemented by results published in the Journal of Neurochemistry. Here the Probiodrug researchers reveal, that the aggregation propensity is caused by the hydrophobic nature of pyroglu Aβ.

The scientists also were able to demonstrate that the cytotoxicity is propagated by a prion-like templating mechanism of Ab misfolding initiated by pyroglu Ab: even after strong dilution to a solution containing only 0.000625% pyroglu Ab, the mix after 24h developed enough toxicity to kill 50% of neurons treated with it.

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Company News: InDex Pharmaceuticals Granted US Patent for Novel Treatment of Steroid-Resistant Inflammation

InDex Pharmaceuticals today announced that it has been granted a patent by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The patent provides additional protection for the use of Kappaproct® and additional DNA-based immunomodulatory sequences (DIMS) for the treatment of  steroid-resistant inflammatory diseases including inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, asthma, emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The patent, entitled “Method for Modulating Responsiveness to Steroids” covers a method for enhancing steroid efficacy in steroid-refractory patients afflicted with an inflammatory condition using oligonucleotides with a specific common core sequence. It provides an exclusivity period until June 2027 with the possibility of a 3 to 5-year term extension after market approval. A corresponding European patent was granted in August 2009.

InDex Pharmaceuticals develops DIMS compounds that are synthetic oligonucleotides that function as immunomodulatory agents by targeting the Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9). The company’s most advanced DIMS product candidate, Kappaproct, is currently in a phase III study in Europe for the treatment of chronic, active, treatment-refractory ulcerative colitis.

Company News: Nanobiotix Appoints Bernd Muehlenweg as a Member of the Executive Board

Nanobiotix has appointed Dr. Bernd Muehlenweg, currently Head of Business Development, as a member of the Executive Board in support of the future growth of Nanobiotix.

Bernd Muehlenweg joined Nanobiotix in 2011 as Head of Business Development. From 2001 to 2011, he had been Director Business Development of oncology company WILEX AG (Munich, Germany), where he played a key role in the negotiation and execution of several license and commercialization agreements with pharma companies and in alliance management. He is a member of the Pharma Licensing Club of Germany (Pharmalizenzclub) and of the Pharma Licensing Club of France.

 

Food for Thought: Which Media Are You Reading Most Frequently?

There has been a frenzy about new media and information sources, especially since the emergence of social media like Twitter. Keeping track of all the different media available today is very time-consuming.

Which media do you really use? Do you primarily rely on established trade and financial media? Or are you taking advantage of free online news sources? Do you use Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn on a regular basis?

We are curious to hear your thoughts!

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