Inflammation fight by ALS

Advanced Life Sciences (ALS) has licenced 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. 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,' said Dr Martin Flavin, ceo of ALS. '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 programme 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 Dr Fred Stevens, senior biophysicist at Argonne National Laboratory. 'We believe the compound holds substantial potential in terms of its ability to prevent diseases involving faulty protein aggregation.'

Under the terms of the licence agreement, ALS will have exclusive worldwide rights to commercialise 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.