Recent Press Releases
The Myelin Repair Foundation and ENDECE Neural Form Collaboration to Develop Myelin Regenerative Compounds for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Treatment.
Saratoga, CA and Mequon, WI., Feb. 7, 2012 - The Myelin Repair Foundation (MRF) and ENDECE Neural, LLC have formed a partnership to expedite the advancement of myelin regeneration drug candidates for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients through pre-clinical studies and into Phase I clinical studies.
Through this unique collaboration, the newly launched MRF Translational Medicine Center will assess the myelin regenerating capabilities of proprietary small molecule compounds from ENDECE Neural in novel MRF Multiple Sclerosis models for their effectiveness in reversing myelin damage.
These ENDECE Neural compounds will be evaluated at the MRF Translational Medicine Center, which is dedicated to the acceleration of the drug discovery and development process for new MS treatments. This laboratory facility offers a rigorous, industry-leading translational medicine platform, led by MRF personnel with over four decades of extensive biopharma experience moving therapeutic compounds into clinical trials. The goal of the MRF Translational Medicine Center is to advance potential myelin repair treatment targets toward commercialization to benefit MS patients.
By combining the innovative approach by ENDECE Neural to remyelination and the resources available at the MRF Translational Medicine Center, we can expedite progress towards developing new MS treatments for patients,” says Dr. Jay Tung, Ph.D., Vice President of Drug Discovery and Research Operations at MRF. “We are excited to work with ENDECE Neural since we both share a deep commitment to bringing novel therapeutics to MS patients who simply cannot wait for new cures.
“We approached the Myelin Repair Foundation about joining forces because of their expertise in myelin repair models, in addition to their new in-house capabilities at the MRF Translational Medicine Center,” says Dr. James Yarger, Ph.D., President of ENDECE Neural. “Unlike current MS therapies, which target immune response and inflammation to slow relapses, our drug compounds are promising candidates for remyelination, with the potential to restore muscle control and mobility. Without remyelination, there can be no cure for MS,” states Dr. Yarger.
About the Myelin Repair Foundation
The Myelin Repair Foundation (MRF) (www.myelinrepair.org) is a Silicon Valley-based, non-profit research organization focused on accelerating the discovery and development of myelin repair therapeutics for Multiple Sclerosis. Its Accelerated Research Collaboration™ (ARC™) model is designed to optimize the process of medical research, drug development and the delivery of new patient treatments.
About Endece Neural, LLC.
ENDECE Neural, LLC is the privately held neurological drug development subsidiary of ENDECE (www.endece.com), a biopharmaceutical company located in Wisconsin. As a small molecule drug discovery business, ENDECE was founded on the premise that the ability to control multiple genes within signaling pathways would create opportunities for treating diseases with largely unmet medical needs, including neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and pain. ENDECE has several late pre-clinical stage programs, including therapeutics for Multiple Sclerosis (ENDECE Neural, LLC) and Cancer (ENDECE Oncology, LLC). The Intellectual Property (IP) surrounding the portfolio of small molecule compounds owned and developed by ENDECE is protected by six composition of matter and use patents; the first has been issued. The management team of ENDECE has previously taken multiple drug candidates from laboratory discovery, through clinical studies, and the FDA approval process to commercial launch.
ENDECE Receives $244,479 Federal Grant to Support Company's Cancer Research
MEQUON, WIS., Nov. 1, 2010 - ENDECE today announced that it has been awarded a $244,479 grant for its cancer research as part of the U.S. government's Therapeutic Discovery Project. Officials representing the project, which offers a tax credit to companies that strive to advance life-saving therapies and cures for patients, and U.S. Biotechnology competitiveness, while helping sustain and create jobs, shared the news today with executives from ENDECE.
The Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project tax credit is a $1 billion fund established under section 48D of the Internal Revenue Code. The credit is available to companies with 250 employees or fewer and covers up to 50 percent of qualified investments in projects aimed at creating new therapies, reducing long-term health care costs, or significantly advancing the goal of curing cancer within the next 30 years.
ENDECE is a privately held, drug development company focused on first-in-class therapeutics for cancer. "We are pleased to receive this grant to further the development of our lead compound, NDC-1308," said James Yarger, ENDECE's Founder and Chief Executive Officer. "We believe that this grant is further validation that our research may provide valuable future therapies to meet unmet medical needs for those fighting cancer."
ENDECE's novel approach to fighting cancer involves regulating multiple pathways essential to cancer growth. NDC-1308 shuts down a tumor's ability to survive by switching tumor cells' own pathways from proliferation to death. ENDECE, based in Mequon, Wis., is developing an anti-cancer drug called NDC-1308, which targets molecular "bioswitches" that control metabolic pathways within cells. Rather than focusing on a single target or mutation, ENDECE's approach is to identify key genetic switches that prevent tumors from growing out of control.
ENDECE Contracts with PBS-Bio to Test 'Bioswitches'
Predictive Biomarker Sciences will assess potential cancer treatment
MEQUON, WIS., Oct. 20, 2010 - ENDECE announced today that it has contracted with Predictive Biomarker Sciences (PBS-Bio) to validate the identified mechanism of action for its family of first-in-class therapeutics for treating cancer.
PBS-Bio said it is helping more companies develop therapies against a variety of cancers. Most new cancer drugs fail in late-stage studies, and it can take as much as $1 billion and more than a decade to bring the drugs to market.
PBS-Bio's analysis helps pharmaceutical companies better understand how their drugs work, and identifies biomarkers that can help predict which patients will respond to treatment.
PBS-Bio is providing drug companies with unique real-time looks at how their new therapeutics actually work over time within cellular pathways — the so-called mechanisms of action, said Dr. Edward Smith, co-founder and CEO of PBS-Bio, which is a privately held, Mesa, Ariz.-based for-profit corporation.
"We feel that we have reached critical momentum for the growth of PBS-Bio," said Dr. Smith. "The pharmaceutical industry is failing in their efforts to bring new cancer drugs to patients with only two drugs approved in 2009, and only two so far this year. The problems are empty pipelines, and outdated methods of drug discovery and development. Pharmaceutical companies are now seeing the value of the PBS-Bio dynamic technology to help bring more new cancer drugs to market faster and cheaper."
ENDECE, based in Mequon, Wis., is developing an anti-cancer drug called NDC-1308, which targets molecular "bioswitches" that control metabolic pathways within cells. Rather than focusing on a single target or mutation, ENDECE's approach is to identify key genetic switches that prevent tumors from growing out of control.
"We previously identified a primary mechanism of action for how NDC-1308 kills tumor cells. The PBS-Bio technology will validate that mechanism and enable us to observe, in real time, the temporal order of changes for components of the pathways that control cancer cell growth. In addition, we may obtain data showing the impact (both positive and negative) of NDC-1308 on other cellular pathways. Previous technologies have not allowed us to identify the temporal order of events," said James Yarger, President and CEO of ENDECE.
By working with PBS-Bio, Yarger said his company also hopes to determine which cancer patients might be the best candidates for the drug and gain an understanding of what current cancer drugs (if any) would be appropriate candidates for combination drug therapies.
"Our bodies fight cancer cells every day, and in general our bodies do it very, very well. However, the appearance of cancerous tumors signifies uncontrolled cancer cell growth and proliferation. When the body's control over some of these pathways are lost, the cancer cells can grow out of control," Yarger said. "ENDECE's focus is on novel therapies that enhance the body's natural control over cancer cell growth."
Although initially focused on lung and pancreatic cancer, Yarger said, "Our data supports the notion that NDC-1308 may control the growth of many kinds of aggressively growing cancers. We hope to further verify this data with PBS-Bio's technology."
About PBS-Bio
Predictive Biomarker Sciences Inc. (PBS-Bio) is a privately held corporation based in Mesa, Arizona, and founded in 2006 with funding from private investors, mostly based in Arizona. It is owned in part by the non-profit, Phoenix-based Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen). The PBS-Bio/TGen collaborative team includes: Dr. Michael Bittner, a biologist, Co-Director of TGen’s Computational Biology Division, and Principal Investigator at TGen for the PBS-Bio technology; Dr. Edward Dougherty, an electrical engineer and the other Co-Director of TGen’s Computational Biology Division; and Dr. Edward Smith, a medical doctor, an adjunct faculty member of TGen, and co-founder and CEO of PBS-Bio. The three began their collaborations while working under TGen President and Research Director Dr. Jeffrey Trent when Dr. Trent was the Scientific Director of the National Human Genomics Research Institute in Bethesda, Md. Their professional relationships continued after TGen was founded in Phoenix in 2002. For more information, please visit: pbs-bio.com.
Press Contact:
Dr. Edward Smith, M.D.
President and CEO
602-418-9300
edsmith@pbs-bio.com
