Sirtris Pharmaceuticals In-Licenses Key Genetic Driver of Cellular Stress Resistance and Longevity in Mammals from Robarts Resea
March 11 2008 - 8:00AM
Business Wire
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRT), a biopharmaceutical
company focused on discovering and developing small molecule drugs
to treat diseases of aging such as Type 2 Diabetes, announced today
that it obtained exclusive, worldwide rights from Robarts Research
Institute (London, Ontario, Canada) for NamPRT (also known as
Visfatin), an important genetic driver of cellular stress
resistance and longevity in mammals. The cellular longevity and
stress resistance pathway in lower organisms is naturally triggered
by the genetic switch PNC1. In mammals this process is
evolutionarily conserved, and researchers have demonstrated that
NamPRT serves the same role in mammalian cells. When cells are
impacted by calories restriction, this genetic trigger activates
members of the sirtuin family of enzymes involved in cell survival.
In research relating to atherosclerosis and cellular aging,
cardiologist Dr. Geoffrey Pickering of Robarts showed that the
introduction of the NamPRT gene into aging human vascular smooth
muscle cells delayed their deterioration and substantially
lengthened cell lifespan. Importantly, this NamPRT response is
associated with increased activity of SIRT1, a member of the
sirtuin family of enzymes that the body uses to regulate glucose
and insulin, fat metabolism, cell survival, and the aging process.
�If we can keep blood vessels functioning well by halting or
slowing their aging,� said Dr. Pickering, �we should be able to
improve the quality and length of life of individuals suffering
from aging-related diseases.� �In-licensing the exclusive rights to
these patents is part of our overall strategy to build the broadest
platform of technology and intellectual property for the
development of sirtuin therapeutics for the treatment of diseases
of aging," said Karl Normington, PhD, Senior Director of
Intellectual Property and Licensing, Sirtris Pharmaceuticals. �This
intellectual property expands our existing portfolio around the NAD
pathway, including nicotinamide and nicotinamide riboside, as well
as other genes known to regulate intracellular NAD levels.� "We
believe our internal efforts, combined with access to technology
from premier research institutions such as Harvard University,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Robarts Research
Institute, will continue to keep Sirtris at the forefront of the
sirtuin therapeutics field," said Christoph Westphal, MD, PhD,
Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chair of Sirtris Pharmaceuticals.
About Sirtris Pharmaceuticals Sirtris Pharmaceuticals is a
biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing
proprietary, orally available, small molecule drugs with the
potential to treat diseases associated with aging, including
metabolic diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes. Our drug candidates are
designed to mimic certain beneficial health effects of calorie
restriction, without requiring a change in eating habits, by
activation of sirtuins, a recently discovered class of enzymes that
the Company believes control the aging process. The company's
headquarters are in Cambridge, Massachusetts. About Robarts
Research Institute Robarts is a medical research institute located
in the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at The
University of Western Ontario. Robarts scientists are physicists
and physicians, biologists and biomedical engineers � all working
to better understand, treat, and ultimately prevent a range of
debilitating diseases such as Alzheimer�s, cancer, heart disease,
and stroke. This press release contains forward-looking statements
within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, the
potential therapeutic effects of SIRT1 activators; the progress and
results of pre-clinical and clinical studies of SIRT1 activators;
the strength of the Company's intellectual property estate; the
Company�s position in the sirtuin therapeutics field; and the
potential of sirtuin modulators to receive regulatory approval.
These forward-looking statements about future expectations, plans
and prospects of Sirtris Pharmaceuticals involve significant risks,
uncertainties and assumptions, including risks related to the lack
of results that would provide a basis for predicting whether any of
the Company's product candidates will be safe or effective, or
receive regulatory approval, the possibility that results of
pre-clinical studies are not necessarily predictive of clinical
trial results, the Company's potential inability to initiate and
complete pre-clinical studies and clinical trials for its product
candidates, the fact that none of the Company's product candidates
has received regulatory approvals, the potential inability of the
Company to gain market acceptance of the Company's product
candidates, and those other risks factors that can be found in the
Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Actual results may differ materially from those Sirtris
Pharmaceuticals contemplated by these forward-looking statements.
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals does not undertake to update any of these
forward-looking statements to reflect a change in its views or
events or circumstances that occur after the date of this release.
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