Medisyn Technologies Awarded Phase I SBIR Grant By Department Of Defense To Discover And Develop Novel NSAIDs With Reduced GI Toxicity

Main Category: GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology
Also Included In: Pain / Anesthetics
Article Date: 28 Jan 2008 - 3:00 PDT

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Medisyn Technologies announced that the company was recently awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I grant from the Department of Defense (DoD) to discover and develop new non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) with reduced gastrointestinal toxicity. NSAIDs devoid of GI toxicity that may be potentially available without a prescription (over-the-counter) enables easier access for deployed military personnel.

Inflammation has been implicated in many pain disorders and diseases including myalgia, arthralgia, tendonitis and dental and bone irritation. Americans spend approximately $3 billion each year on over-the-counter analgesic drugs. Although NSAIDs are widely used to treat acute and chronic inflammatory disorders, some (Advil®) are limited by toxicity to the gastrointestinal (GI) system while others (Celebrex®, Vioxx®) may promote increased cardiovascular risks.

Medisyn's discovery process works by creating a digital fingerprint of anti-inflammatory activity which is then used to search chemical libraries for compounds with similar or identical fingerprints. Once a match has been made, the compounds are submitted for lab testing to confirm activity. Medisyn has identified potent compounds in as little as eight weeks and currently has 40 active projects in 22 therapeutic areas including lung cancer, AIDS and Alzheimer's.

David Land, President of Medisyn Technologies, commented that "We are pleased that the DoD has selected Medisyn to help identify novel pain and anti-inflammation drug leads using our Forward Engineering™ technology. While most computer-based drug discovery engines are limited to identifying structurally related compounds, Forward Engineering allow us to unearth potent anti-inflammatory agents structurally unrelated to current NSAIDs. Medisyn remains committed to working with difficult therapeutic challenges", Land added. After identification of promising leads, Medisyn will seek SBIR Phase 2 funding to complete preclinical testing required to support an Investigational New Drug (IND) application.

The DoD SBIR program was established in 1982 to increase the participation of small businesses in federal research and development (R&D) and leverage the creativity of the small business community to help meet government R&D objectives. Medisyn's approach will involve identification of inhibitors for both cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and arachidonate 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO), two potent mediators of inflammation. These so-called dual inhibitors of anti-inflammatory activity should enable treatment of local and systemic inflammation with minimal GI toxicity and cardiovascular risk.

This work is supported by the US Army Medical Research and Material Command under Contract No. W81XWH-08-C-0026. The views, opinions and/or findings contained in this press release are those of the author(s) and should not be construed as an official Department of the Army position, policy or decision unless so designated by other documentation.

About Medisyn Technologies

Medisyn Technologies is a unique small molecule design company that uses proprietary technology to make drug discovery faster, more predictable and less expensive. Based on molecular topology, Medisyn's Forward Engineering™ platform enables the design of novel, diverse and unexpected compounds that meet exact parameters for a specific therapeutic use. By compressing design and discovery time from years to weeks and optimizing lead candidates, Medisyn's novel approach enables drug discovery customers to reduce risk, improve probability of success and control costs associated with the traditional lead discovery process.

Medisyn Technologies