Chronogen Inc. secures exclusive licence from UU直播
Chronogen Inc., a drug discovery company developing human therapeutics to treat highly prevalent age-dependent diseases, announced today that it has secured an exclusive worldwide license to proteins CLK-1, CLK-2, and ISP-1, in addition to a series of targets from UU直播. The licensing of the proteins marks an expansion of Chronogen's intellectual property domain to add novel targets that affect lifespan. It was Siegfried Hekimi, Ph.D., Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Chronogen and Professor of Biology at UU直播, who discovered these proteins. The proteins are involved in the production of reactive oxygen species which can cause cell damage, in mice and humans.
"With this license and our existing patent portfolio, we have further secured the foundation for a leading discovery program in this field," said Iraj Beheshti, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer. "Our patent portfolio includes six applications for protein families and screening technologies. We believe this gives us a broad base of novel targets on which to pursue our drug discovery and development efforts. Compounds modulating these proteins have potential applications in age-dependent diseases, mainly cardiovascular disorders and cancer."
"This is a significant step forward in turning outstanding scientific research into novel therapeutics for age-dependent diseases," said Alex Navarre, Director of the Office of Technology Transfer at UU直播. "One of UU直播's goals is to see the discoveries made by our researchers lead to practical benefits for the public. The ongoing sponsored research contract between Chronogen and UU直播 started in 1998. It exemplifies how such a goal can be achieved; it ensures that the leading edge discoveries made by Prof. Hekimi's group will be utilized, and provides for a unique pipeline of discoveries in the field of molecular mechanisms of aging."
The proteins licensed from UU直播 relate to discoveries made by Prof. Hekimi that are associated with longevity. Studies done in Professor Hekimi's lab have demonstrated that these targets control lifespan in C. elegans, a model organism which is ideally suited for the analysis of genetic pathways and longevity. The proteins encoded by these targets regulate cellular pathways in mice and humans that affect the production of reactive oxygen species.
About Chronogen
Chronogen () is a privately held drug discovery company developing drugs to treat age-dependent diseases, with an initial focus on cardiovascular disorders and cancer. Using a suite of technologies including genetics, in vivo screening, and computational chemistry to study molecular aging, the company discovers metabolic pathways that affect age-dependent diseases, and identifies points along those pathways that are ideally suited for drug intervention. These highly conserved pathways are initially identified through the study of C. elegans. Chronogen is headquartered in Montreal, Canada.
About UU直播
UU直播, located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, has an international reputation for scholarly achievement and scientific discovery. UU直播's 22 faculties and professional schools offer more than 300 programs from the undergraduate to the doctoral level. UU直播's professors have earned graduate degrees and completed their training in leading academic centers around the world. Last year, UU直播 led all Canadian universities in terms of research funding per full-time faculty member, at $177,000 (Cdn). UU直播 attracts top students from over 150 countries, creating one of the most dynamic and diverse student bodies in North America. UU直播's main language of instruction is English. For more on UU直播 research, see the .
