GlycoMimetics, Inc. Awarded National Institutes of Health Grant To Study Drug Candidate In Diabetes

Main Category: Diabetes
Article Date: 18 Aug 2009 - 20:00 PDT

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GlycoMimetics, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company that is developing a new class of glycobiology-based therapies for a broad range of indications, announced it has been awarded a grant from The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of The National Institutes of Health (NIH) to evaluate its E-selectin small molecule antagonists in animal models of vascular complications of diabetes.

The grant is based upon substantial data in the scientific literature suggesting an important role for E-selectin in the chronic inflammation associated with diabetes. The company has developed a family of potent small molecule E-selectin antagonists which it is currently optimizing for oral availability.

"We are excited about the potential for our E-selectin antagonists to treat or prevent vascular complications of diabetes, and we believe GlycoMimetics' family of small molecule therapeutics could represent a breakthrough in this field," said John Magnani, Ph.D., GlycoMimetics' Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer. "It is gratifying to have this important research recognized by the NIH."

Elevated levels of E-selectin have been shown to correlate with increased risk of complications related to poor microvascular blood flow, such as diabetic retinopathy and nephropathy. GlycoMimetics has discovered a class of potent E-selectin inhibitors, one of which, in earlier tests, was shown to improve blood flow by inhibiting leukocyte rolling and adhesion in diabetic mice. The company believes that E-selectin antagonists could also be beneficial in treating certain inflammatory skin conditions where E-selectin plays an important role.

About GlycoMimetics' Selectin Antagonist Program

E-selectin is a cell adhesion molecule implicated in inflammation. GlycoMimetics has designed molecules that mimic the native E-selectin ligand and that have significantly higher affinity for that target than the native ligand. GlycoMimetics' molecules have been shown to be potent inhibitors of E-selectin in both in vitro and in vivo assays. As such, they represent a potential first-in-class set of compounds that could address major markets in chronic inflammation. Possible targets for the company's E-selectin antagonist candidates include vascular complications of diabetes such as retinopathy and nephropathy, as well as certain inflammatory skin diseases.

Source
GlycoMimetics, Inc.