Arexis receives European patent on a novel target for diabetes treatment

The drug development company Arexis AB announced today that it has received a European patent covering the skeletal muscle specific γ3 subunit of AMPK, representing an important part of Arexis’ patent portfolio in the AMPK field. Arexis is currently developing a novel oral therapy based on a non-insulin dependent mechanism for type II diabetes, with AMPK as target.

The granted patent – ‘Variants of the gamma chain of AMPK, DNA sequences encoding the same, and uses thereof’ – covers the skeletal muscle specific γ3 subunit of AMPK (Adenosine 5´monophosphate-activated protein kinase). It will play an important role in Arexis’ AMPK patent portfolio, which forms an umbrella under which further R&D relating to the function of AMPK, and especially the muscle specific γ3 subunit, can be performed. Even more importantly, this umbrella gives Arexis the unique and exclusive possibility to develop compounds that have specificity only for the γ3 subunit of AMPK, which is expected to offer the best chance to develop and commercialise effective and safe drugs with AMPK as target. Arexis’ focus in its AMPK program is the development of a novel oral therapy for type II diabetes. “This patent helps us to further strengthen our leading position in the AMPK research field as well as the commercial potential in our type II diabetes project,” says Lennart Hansson, CEO of Arexis. The AMPK project originates from the outstanding finding of a novel muscle-specific form of AMPK identified by one of Arexis’ founders, Professor Leif Andersson. Leif Andersson is Professor at the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University and Guest Professor at the Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala.