Breakthrough in research for multiple sclerosis (MS)

Main Category: Multiple Sclerosis
Article Date: 28 Oct 2004 - 10:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc announced results of preclinical studies demonstrating that a new class of compounds, orally available non-antibacterial tetracyclines, has shown promising activity in a preclinical animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS). Affecting approximately two million people worldwide, MS is a chronic, inflammatory condition of the nervous system and the most common, non-traumatic, neurological disease in young adults. Dr. David McKenney, a Paratek scientist, will present the findings during an oral presentation at 2:30 p.m. PST (5:30 p.m. EST) today at Neuroscience 2004, the Society for Neuroscience's 34th Annual Meeting in San Diego.

For the first time, Paratek is presenting data showing that its non-antibacterial tetracycline compounds in a preclinical model of MS have efficacy comparable to minocycline, an antibiotic also in the tetracycline family. A previous clinical study directed by Dr. Luanne Metz at the University of Calgary has demonstrated disease protection in MS patients treated with minocycline. Unfortunately, long-term treatment with minocycline or any other broad-spectrum antibiotics causes many patients to experience intolerability related to antibiotic side effects. In today's presentation, Paratek will report that three non-antibacterial tetracycline compounds, with different structures, demonstrated activity in reducing limb paralysis in the preclinical EAE (Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis) model of MS. These compounds have no detectable antibacterial activity.

Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Serono (virt-x: SEO and NYSE: SRA) announced today that they have entered into an agreement to discover, develop and commercialize an orally-available disease modifying treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS). The agreement covers the compounds for which Dr. McKenney presents data today.

Stuart Levy, Paratek's Vice Chairman, Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder, commented, "The clinical research community has long regarded a pill for MS as an ultimate goal, but so far attempts to develop a safe, feasible, orally available drug candidate have failed. Our team has successfully modified the tetracycline molecule, keeping the core structure that confers anti-MS activity while removing portions of the molecule with antibacterial effects. This represents an exciting advance not only for MS, but potentially for many other inflammation-related disease areas. "

Dr. Michael Draper, Associate Director at Paratek, stated, "Paratek has developed world-class expertise in modifying the tetracycline class, which has a 30-year track record in the marketplace and a favorable, well-documented safety profile. This new, proprietary class of non-antibacterial tetracycline compounds will avoid the negative consequences associated with long-term antibiotic use and will not further contribute to the development of antibiotic resistance. We believe that these highly active, orally available compounds will also prove to be well-tolerated for MS, and we are very proud of this accomplishment."

About Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, inflammatory condition of the nervous system and is the most common non-traumatic neurological disease in young adults. Multiple sclerosis may affect approximately two million people worldwide. While symptoms can vary, the most common symptoms of multiple sclerosis include blurred vision, numbness or tingling in the limbs and problems with strength and coordination. The relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis are the most common.

About Paratek Pharmaceuticals

Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is engaged in the discovery and commercialization of new therapeutics that treat serious and life-threatening diseases, with a particular focus on the growing worldwide problem of antibiotic resistance. Paratek's lead programs are advancing novel compounds that can circumvent or block bacterial resistance, as well as drugs that can prevent infection by interfering with Multiple Adaptational Response (MAR) mechanisms in bacteria. Out of these efforts, Paratek has discovered a new class of antibiotics, the aminomethylcyclines that target the need for new and potent antibacterials to overcome the problem of rapidly growing bacterial resistance. The Company's lead antibiotic clinical candidate, BAY 73-7388, the first product from this class, is being developed in a collaborative partnership with Bayer HealthCare AG for the treatment of serious infections.

Outside the antibacterial therapeutic area, Paratek has also established an internal effort to exploit its novel families of compounds and their unique mechanism of action in selected anti-inflammatory and neurodegenerative conditions. Paratek has an active chemical synthesis effort to produce novel and diverse small molecules, with the goal of developing non-antibacterial products with improved activity in serious diseases based upon a growing body of clinical and basic research supporting this approach.

Paratek is privately held and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. For more information, visit Paratek's website at http://www.paratekpharm.com.

Contact: Katie Compa
kcompa@burnsmc.com
212-213-0006
Burns McClellan