June 26, 1996
Source: Mitotix, Inc

Mitotix Acquires Worldwide License to Natural Cell Cycle Inhibitor, p27 Gene; Potential Applications Include Cancer and Restenosis

Cambridge, MA, June 26, 1996 - Mitotix, Incorporated announced today that the company has acquired an exclusive worldwide license from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center to the natural cell cycle inhibitor p27 for all anti-proliferative therapeutic and diagnostic applications. Mitotix is currently using the p27 gene and protein in its drug discovery efforts to develop new therapeutic products for the treatment of cancer and certain cardiovascular conditions.

"p27's natural role as an inhibitor of cell division provides a distinctive approach to developing therapeutics to prevent inappropriate cell proliferation," said Muzammil Mansuri, Ph.D., Vice President, Drug Discovery at Mitotix. "The p27 technology has broad applications across a range of Mitotix's research efforts in small molecule therapeutics for cancer, in gene therapy for restenosis and in diagnostics." Dr. Mansuri noted that the license is part of the company's strategy to exclusively access the critical molecules involved in the regulation of cell division.

p27 is the second major cell cycle inhibitor acquired by Mitotix. The company recently acquired exclusive rights from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory to p16, a tumor suppressor gene that is altered in a large number of tumor types.

"A variety of studies have demonstrated that p27 and p16 act through separate biochemical pathways," said David Beach, Ph.D., of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and a scientific co-founder of Mitotix. "These distinct activities allow us to pursue a variety of discovery strategies based on these genes and their encoded products."

While p16 specifically binds to and inhibits the cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (Cdk4)/cyclin D1 complex, p27 has been shown to block the activity of all Cdk/cyclin complexes, including Cdk2/cyclin E, which plays an important role in cell cycle progression. When bound to Cdk2/cyclin E, the p27 protein acts as a molecular "off switch" at a very specific point in the cell division cycle to prevent entry into DNA replication. Mitotix also holds an exclusive license to the cyclin E protein patent rights owned by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Rockefeller University.

As part of its kinase inhibitor drug discovery program, Mitotix will seek to discover small molecules that mimic the inhibitory activity of p27 for the treatment of cancer in collaboration with The DuPont Merck Pharmaceutical Company. Mitotix researchers also recently published studies in Science demonstrating that cellular p27 levels are controlled by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Mitotix will focus this program on the identification of therapeutic compounds which inhibit the breakdown of p27, thereby raising levels of p27 in the cell and halting cell proliferation. Mitotix is also applying the p27 technology as part of its program to evaluate gene therapy approaches for the treatment of restenosis.

Joan Massague, M.D., and colleagues at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, New York, and James Roberts, Ph.D., and colleagues at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington, discovered p27 and its role in the cell cycle.

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, located in Seattle, Washington, is an independent, non-profit research institution dedicated to the development and advancement of biomedical technology to eliminate cancer and other potentially fatal diseases. One of 27 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the country, it is the only one in the Northwest.
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center is the world's oldest and largest private institution devoted to prevention, patient care, research and education in cancer. Throughout its long, distinguished history, the Center has played a leadership role in defining the standard of care for patients with cancer. In 1995, Memorial Sloan-Kettering was named the nation's best cancer center for the third consecutive year by U.S. News & World Report.

Mitotix, Incorporated is a biotechnology company engaged in the discovery and development of products to diagnose and treat cancer, opportunistic infections, and other cell proliferation disorders. The company's development programs are based on proprietary and patentable knowledge of the molecular pathways that regulate the cycle of cell growth and division. Mitotix recently formed major corporate collaborations in cancer therapeutics with The DuPont Merck Pharmaceutical Company focused on cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors and with BASF Pharma focused on cdc25 inhibitors. Mitotix was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

SOURCE Mitotix, Inc.