Protelica Awarded Phase II SBIR Grant by the National Science Foundation
Issued - January 19, 2009, Hayward, CA, USA
Protelica (formerly known as ProtElix, Inc.) is pleased to announce that it has received formal notification of Phase II SBIR funding by the National Science Foundation for its scientific project entitled “Bioinformatics knowledge-based, universal library design for a non-immunoglobulin, protein-scaffold.” The grant, effective January 15, 2009 provides $500,000 for the next 24 months and will allow the Company to continue developing its platform technology, and to fund preclinical studies of its early stage lead candidates for cardiovascular and cancer therapies.
“We are very grateful to NSF for acknowledging our research project as one of the most innovative in the country and for supporting the development of new protein therapeutics that may replace the first generation monoclonal antibody drugs,” states Dr. Roberto Crea, Protelica’s Founder, CEO and Chief Scientific Officer. “We believe our approach to antibody mimics discovery and optimization will lead to new therapeutics that may be more effective and less expensive. We are pleased to receive the validation of this peer-reviewed grant,” adds Dr. Crea.
The project, which started two years ago, includes a bioinformatics-based understanding of nature’s evolutionary rules, and utilizes Protelica’s proprietary DNA mutagenesis technologies to develop small, specific and potent protein blockers. “By understanding how nature evolves its protein binding specificity, we are able to introduce new and ‘intelligent’ diversity to human protein scaffolds, like Fibronectin sub-units, and generate billions of new variants. We expect this program to lead to the discovery and clinical development of new protein drugs that combine the exquisite specificity of antibodies with the many clinical and manufacturing advantages typical of small molecules,” explains Dr. Guido Cappuccilli, the project’s Principal Investigator and head of the Bioinformatics Group at Protelica.
Protelica is a small, privately owned biotech company, founded by Dr. Roberto Crea in 2006 after the acquisition of his previous company, Bioren, Inc. by Pfizer in 2005. The Company employs eight scientists, and occupies 12,500 square feet of laboratory and office space at the Point Eden Research Park in Hayward, California.
For further information, please contact Dr. Roberto Crea at Protelica, Tel. +1-510-785-3330, ext. 118.
Bio3 Research S.r.l. and ProtElix Inc. enter into an agreement for the development of mimic-antibody HMGB1 antagonists to prevent restenosis and atherosclerotic plaque progression.
Issued – September 15, 2008, Hayward, CA, USA and Milan, Italy
Bio3 Research S.r.l. and ProtElix, Inc. announced today that they have entered into a non-exclusive worldwide collaboration for the development and commercial exploitation of mimic-antibody HMGB1 antagonists to prevent restenosis and atherosclerotic plaque progression. Anti-HMGB1 mimic-Abs will be generated by ProtElix using its proprietary technology platform, and under a non-exclusive license to utilize Bio3 Research’s patent (IP WO02074437) relating to HMGB1 for cardiovascular disorders. Patents have been granted to Bio3 Research in Italy and Australia, and the patent nationalization phase is underway in the USA, EU, Japan, Canada, China and Mexico.
Through a licensing program, Bio3 Research and ProtElix will jointly carry out the commercial exploitation of the mimic-Abs in key pharmaceutical markets. No details on commercial terms have been disclosed.
Dr. Roberto Crea, Chairman and CEO of ProtElix, Inc. commented, “The collaboration with Bio3 Research is a great opportunity for ProtElix to direct its proprietary antibody mimics platform to important applications in cardiovascular diseases and cancer. We are very pleased to combine Bio3 Research’s Intellectual Property and marketing expertise with our “core” technology to discover and develop cheaper and more effective protein drug antagonists.”
Mr. Francesco Paolo Pilato, President and Chief Executive Officer of Bio3 Research commented, “Mimic-Abs represent an innovative approach to antagonizing HMGB1, a biological target recognized as one of the major factors contributing to several cardiovascular disorders. The world market potential for therapeutics in this area is in the range of $35 billion. Bio3 Research has already focused on the possible development of monoclonal antibodies to antagonize HMGB1. By developing an HMGB1-specific mimic-antibody using ProtElix’ pioneering technology, we may accelerate the development of new therapeutic tools with better tissue penetration, the potential for non-injected formulations, higher stability, lower production costs and longer shelf-life.
ProtElix, Inc. is a biotech R&D company located in Hayward, CA. The Company was founded in 2006 by Dr. Roberto Crea, a serial entrepreneur in the biotech industry, as result of the sale of Bioren, Inc. to Pfizer in 2005. While Pfizer has acquired the worldwide exclusive rights to Bioren’s protein engineering technology for applications in the antibody space, ProtElix has retained the rights to the same platform technology for all other classes of protein therapeutics. ProtElix has focused its initial technology applications on protein drug antagonists and enzyme engineering.
Bio3 Research S.r.l. is a biopharmaceutical company with its corporate headquarters in Milan, Italy and a subsidiary, Bio3 Research Inc., based in Hayward CA, USA. The company is engaged in several development projects, including the use of HMGB1 in connective tissue regeneration and the prevention of severe anemia in hemo-dialyzed patients with its proprietary therapeutic agent Biocysan™, already licensed out to Daxley Group in Latin America and Mexico.
For further information, please contact Mr. Francesco Paolo Pilato at Bio3 Research, S.r.l., Tel. +39-02-62694888 or Dr. Roberto Crea at ProtElix, Inc., Tel. +1-510-785-3330, ext. 118.
