ADVANCED LIFE SCIENCES LICENSES PROMISING TECHNOLOGY FROM ARGONNE

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ADVANCED LIFE SCIENCES LICENSES PROMISING TECHNOLOGY FROM ARGONNE
21 May 2005 - DOE/Argonne National Laboratory

Advanced Life Sciences has licensed a promising proteomics-based technology from Argonne National Laboratory. The license involves a compound called ALS-499 that has demonstrated activity in the laboratory toward inhibiting amyloid protein aggregation that is characteristic of the development of several diseases, including Alzheimer's and type-2 diabetes.

"We believe this technology has significant potential," said Michael T. Flavin, ALS's chief executive officer. "It will strengthen our inflammation-fighting drug portfolio and provide us with a platform from which we can develop new drugs that may prevent a number of significant diseases. Our scientists have been working in collaboration with Argonne for several years. Our joint research led to the discovery of this interesting compound that will enhance our R&D program in inflammation therapeutics."

Argonne, in collaboration with ALS and the University of Chicago, has been studying the biophysical foundations of amyloid formation for some time, and ALS-499 was discovered during the course of that research. The field of protein aggregation focuses on what happens when proteins in the body clump together in ways that cause disease.

"We were surprised to discover that ALS-499 blocked aggregation of a variety of proteins that can lead to several debilitating diseases," said Fred Stevens, senior biophysicist at Argonne. "If the compound holds substantial potential in terms of its ability to prevent diseases involving faulty protein aggregation."

Under the terms of the license agreement, ALS, located in Woodridge, Ill., will have exclusive worldwide rights to commercialize ALS-499, as well as the platform technology, as a method for preventing amyloid fibril formation. ALS-499 will immediately advance into early stage laboratory investigation under ALS stewardship. If this compound continues to prove its effectiveness in this setting, it is likely to be slated for clinical trials within a few years.

Advanced Life Sciences is a privately held biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development and commercialization of novel drugs in the therapeutic areas of infection, cancer and inflammation using its platform in natural products and chemical proteomics coupled with expertise in drug development.

http://www.anl.gov

About: DOE/Argonne National Laboratory
Argonne National Laboratory is one of the US Department of Energy's largest research centres. It is also the nation's first national laboratory, chartered in 1946.

Argonne is a direct descendant of the University of Chicago's Metallurgical Laboratory, part of the World War Two Manhattan Project. After the war, Argonne was given the mission of developing nuclear reactors for peaceful purposes. Over the years, Argonne's research expanded to include many other areas of science, engineering and technology.

Today, the laboratory has about 4000 employees, including about 1200 scientists and engineers, of whom about 700 hold doctorate degrees.

Argonne occupies two sites. The Illinois site is surrounded by forest preserve about 25 miles southwest of Chicago's Loop. About 3200 of Argonne's 4000 employees work on the site's 1500 wooded acres. The site also houses the US Department of Energy's Chicago Operations Office.

Argonne-West occupies about 900 acres about 50 miles west of Idaho Falls in the Snake River Valley. It is the home of most of Argonne's major nuclear reactor research facilities. About 800 of Argonne's employees work there.

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