DIAMYD COLLABORATOR PRESENTS POSITIVE PRECLINICAL DATA FOR A NEW PAIN PRODUCT USING DIAMYD’S NERVE TARGETING DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM (NTDDS)
Press Release, Stockholm, Sweden, and Pittsburgh, PA November 7, 2007 – Diamyd Medical AB (www.omxgroup.com, ticker: DIAM B; www.otcqx.com, ticker DMYDY)
Diamyd Medical announced today that Sangamo BioSciences, Richmond, CA has presented data showing a statistically significant reduction in pain in a preclinical model of cancer pain using a product that combines Sangamo’s proprietary zinc finger protein technology with Diamyd’s Nerve Targeting Drug Delivery System (NTDDS). The data was presented at Neuroscience 2007, the 37th annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in San Diego, CA. The full press release can be found at Sangamo’s website: www.sangamo.com.
Under an early stage collaboration with Diamyd, Sangamo’s TrkA repressor gene was incorporated into Diamyd’s NTDDS vector by Diamyd scientists Darren Wolfe, David Krisky and James Wechuck who are listed as co-authors on the publication. The TrkA-NTDDS product was then tested by Sangamo in preclinical efficacy models of cancer pain.
The TrkA repressor gene produces a protein that targets a well-validated pain receptor on the surface of injured nerve cells. Using Diamyd’s NTDDS as the delivery vehicle enables production of the TrkA repressor protein directly at the site of the damaged neuron to both block the pain transmission and reduce the potential for systemic side effects. The TrkA receptor target is distinct from the receptors targeted with Diamyd’s NP2 and GAD NTDDS pain products.
“We view the collaborative development of the TrkA-NTDDS pain therapeutic by Sangamo as an exciting and complementary approach with our ongoing pain product program” said Michael Christini, President of Diamyd, Inc. “One of the strengths of our NTDDS system is that it can be used with a multitude of therapeutic compounds for many nerve diseases and establishing third party collaborations is often a good way to maximize the potential of our NTDDS platform. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Sangamo as well as establishing collaborations in additional therapeutic areas with other companies in the near future.”
About Diamyd’s NTDDS Technology for Treatment of Pain
Diamyd Medical owns the exclusive worldwide license rights to a portfolio of patents for the Nerve Targeting Drug Delivery System (NTDDS). This system is based on a replication incompetent viral delivery system that can express numerous therapeutic genes. The NTDDS has a natural affinity for nerve cells. Diamyd’s initial NTDDS projects are focused upon peripheral and central nervous system applications. To that end, Diamyd seeks to combine the natural biology of the NTDDS (local nerve targeting) with therapeutic agents that are naturally found in the body and have a known therapeutic effect (e.g., GAD or enkephalin for treatment of pain, and neurotrophic factors for nerve damage). Thus, Diamyd believes that NTDDS proposes a new and broad class of nervous system disease therapies. NP2, Diamyd’s lead product in its NTDDS portfolio expressing enkephalin for treatment of severe cancer pain remains on schedule for an IND filing in 2007.
About Sangamo
Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. is focused on the research and development of novel DNA-binding proteins for therapeutic gene regulation and modification. The most advanced ZFP TherapeuticTM development program is currently in Phase II clinical trials for evaluation of safety and clinical effect in patients with diabetic neuropathy. Phase I clinical trials are ongoing to evaluate a ZFP Therapeutic for peripheral artery disease. Other therapeutic development programs are focused on cancer and HIV/AIDS, neuropathic pain, nerve regeneration, Parkinson’s disease and monogenic diseases. Sangamo’s core competencies enable the engineering of a class of DNA-binding proteins known as zinc finger DNA-binding proteins (ZFPs). By engineering ZFPs that recognize a specific DNA sequence Sangamo has created ZFP transcription factors (ZFP TFTM) that can control gene expression and, consequently, cell function. Sangamo is also developing sequence-specific ZFP Nucleases (ZFNTM) for gene modification. Sangamo has established strategic partnerships with companies outside of the human therapeutic space including Dow AgroSciences, Sigma-Aldrich Corporation and several companies applying its ZFP Technology to enhance the production of protein pharmaceuticals. For more information about Sangamo, visit the company’s web site at www.sangamo.com.