| 28th August 2003
DanioLabs announces revenue generating
deal with KS Biomedix
DanioLabs Ltd, the UK based drug discovery company which
use zebrafish as a model for human disease, announced
today a revenue generating agreement with KS Biomedix
Ltd. Under this agreement, DanioLabs will use their proprietary
zebrafish model of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) to
investigate the therapeutic effect of KS Biomedix antibodies
against a novel colon epithelial protein, CEP. CEP is
believed to be involved in the pathogenesis of ulcerative
colitis and antibodies against CEP may have potential
in the treatment of ulcerative colitis, a disease with
20,000 to 30,000 new cases being reported each year in
the US and Europe.
DanioLabs has created a cost effective, high-throughput,
in vivo model of IBD which has been shown to have clinical,
pathological and biological relevance to the human disease.
KS Biomedix and DanioLabs have agreed a structured work
programme to help understand the effect of the antigen
in the disease, and ultimately whether antibodies to
the antigen could potentially provide a novel treatment
DanioLabs is a world leader in phenotype driven drug
discovery. It is bridging the gap between chemistry and
biology through the integration of a variety of approaches
to the identification of new chemical compounds, with
high-throughput in vivo screening models of important
human diseases. A major part of the DanioLabs platform
involves the use of zebrafish as an experimental species.
Using these models, the company is able to identify activity
of experimental compounds, and to provide the additional
evidence relevant to the treatment of the disease needed
to progress such compounds cost-effectively through the
drug development process.
DanioLabs build high-throughput disease models that
allow 96 well plate format in vivo screening. As well
as working with partners to develop new models and to
undertake screening campaigns, the company also use their
systems to identify their own novel therapeutics in the
areas of ophthalmology and neurological disease. As well
as identifying novel use opportunities, the company is
also developing chemistry around interesting novel targets.
Derek Jones, Chief Operating Officer
of DanioLabs said, “Our
IBD model has significant advantages over other models
that are available, and we are delighted to be able to
apply our expertise in helping KS Biomedix develop their
novel treatment for ulcerative colitis”.
Dr Steven Powell, CEO of KS Biomedix,
commented, “We
were intrigued by the DanioLabs zebrafish model for IBD,
and based upon the positive results from a small pilot
study that DanioLabs undertook for us, we have developed
and agreed a programme of work that will exploit the
DanioLabs approach. If it proves successful, it will
provide us with some valuable pre-clinical data”.
Notes to Editors
1. KS Biomedix Ltd (Guildford,
UK) is a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in
the UK that is developing a
late-stage pipeline of drugs for a range of cancer indications.
In addition, it has a number of technology platforms
based on its range of receptor-based targeting technologies
one of which is KSB’s super high-affinity monoclonal
antibodies (SMAs). The Company has six active clinical
programs, including TransMID-107R™ for the treatment
of adult, recurrent, inoperable high-grade gliomas (brain
tumours) and KSB303, an anti-CEA antibody for the diagnosis
and treatment of cancer.
For further details on KS Biomedix please
visit www.ksbiomedix.com.
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