Date: Dec 16, 2013 Source: Yahoo Finance (
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Biousian Biosystems Inc, (BBI) a biotechnology company that designs and develops drugs with unique selectivity and potency for GPCR targets, today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a patent to BBI (U.S. Patent 8,575,309). The patent describes a series of highly selective and potent delta opioid receptor agonists for the treatment of acute and chronic pain. One of the molecules covered by the patent is BBI-11008, the company's lead drug that is positioned as a best-in-class analgesic.
BBI-11008 is an orally available drug that has equivalent efficacy to opioids but exhibits markedly reduced side effects in preclinical models. Due to the unique delta opioid selectivity of BBI-11008, it lacks the toxicities usually associated with mu selective opioid agonists (e.g. morphine), including respiratory distress, GI tract immobility and has no evidence of addiction. The molecule's performance has been studied in extensive in-vivo preclinical pain studies, funded by multiple NIH SBIR grants.
Ed Bilsky, Founder of Biousian Biosystems and Professor of Biomedical Sciences at the University of New England, said, "Delta opioid receptors were first described in the 1970s, but multiple efforts to develop a highly selective agonist with drug-like properties have failed. Our novel synthetic chemistry applied to naturally occurring enkephalin opioid peptides enable us to impart small-molecule, drug-like properties to peptides. The lead molecule has therapeutic utility across a broad range of pain indications, including neuropathic pain, inflammatory pain, cancer pain and migraine".
Robin Polt, Founder of Biousian Biosystems and Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and BIO5 at the University of Arizona said, "We are very excited about the prospects for glycopeptide drugs that increase drug stability and increase penetration across the blood-brain barrier and into the central nervous system. Biologically compatible glycosides such as BBI-11008 are metabolized into simple amino acids and sugars that are more properly regarded as nutrients, in contrast to classical opioid alkaloids that produce a cascade of toxic metabolites".
Mark Philip, acting President of Biousian Biosystems said "We are delighted to have made such rapid progress and achieved proof of principle for both efficacy and safety for BBI-11008 in a range of preclinical models. This, together with the recently-issued patent protection for this series of molecules, encourages us to accelerate the work towards moving the lead candidate into the clinic."
Biousian is actively exploring both corporate partnerships and/or equity investment to progress this molecule into clinical trials. The company's business development is being supported by Alacrita Consulting.
About Biousian Biosystems
Biousian Biosystems (BBI) is committed to improving the lives of patients living in chronic pain or struggling conditions which lead to chronic pain. Using its CarboSyn® technology platform BBI builds drugs that have unique selectivity and potency for targets called G-protein coupled receptor or "GPCRs". The company has specific strengths in related medicinal chemistries and pharmacology. For more information about Biousian Biosystems, please visit: http://www.carbosyn.com
About Alacrita
Alacrita is a rapidly growing management consulting firm providing expertise-based services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and life science sectors. The firm is supported by an unrivalled network of experts who operate across the spectrum of life sciences. Many are industry veterans with 25+ years of experience, others are professional independent consultants operating in the life science arena.
Since inception, Alacrita has completed successful consulting projects for big pharma, biotech companies, life science investors, academia and government bodies. Alacrita operates out of offices in London UK and Cambridge MA, USA. For more information about Alacrita, please visit: http://www.alacritaconsulting.com
Contact Biousian Biosystems
Mark Philip
President
51, Follen Street
Lexington, MA 02421
Tel: +1-617-538-7896
