AVI BioPharma and DepoMed to Explore Optimizing Oral Delivery of AVI's Proprietary Antisense Technology.Health/Medical Writers PORTLAND, Ore./MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--June 19, 2000 Collaboration aims to demonstrate oral NEUGENE(R) antisense antisense, DNA or RNA manipulated in a laboratory so that its components (nucleotides) form a complementary copy of normal, or "sense," messenger RNA (mRNA; see nucleic acid). efficacy AVI BioPharma, Inc. (Nasdaq:AVII, AVIIW, AVIIZ) and DepoMed, Inc. (AMEX AMEX See: American Stock Exchange :DMI (Desktop Management Interface) The first desktop management standard from the DMTF. Enabling PCs to be monitored from a central console, it was superseded by the DMTF's Common Information Model (see CIM). ) today announced a joint collaboration to investigate the feasibility of controlled oral delivery of AVI's proprietary NEUGENE antisense agents. The collaboration will involve developing oral formulations of one or more of AVI's products. Scientists at AVI (Audio Video Interleaved) A Windows multimedia video format from Microsoft. It interleaves standard waveform audio and digital video frames (bitmaps) to provide reduced animation at 15 fps at 160x120x8 resolution. Audio is 11,025Hz, 8-bit samples. and DepoMed will work together to study the feasibility of oral drug formulations based on DepoMed's Gastric Retention (GR) controlled release system that will deliver the drug into the upper gastrointestinal tract gastrointestinal tract n. The part of the digestive system consisting of the stomach, small intestine, and large intestine. Gastrointestinal tract . Denis Denis, king of Portugal: see Diniz. R. Burger, Ph.D., Chairman and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of AVI, said, "Our proprietary NEUGENE antisense agents have demonstrated encouraging oral bioavailability bioavailability /bio·avail·a·bil·i·ty/ (bi?o-ah-val?ah-bil´i-te) the degree to which a drug or other substance becomes available to the target tissue after administration. bi·o·a·vail·a·bil·i·ty n. and oral efficacy in preclinical testing. Our collaboration with DepoMed has the potential to allow us to optimize these results, thereby establishing, for the first time, broadly applicable oral antisense delivery." "We are very enthusiastic about this collaboration with AVI," said John W. Fara, Ph.D., DepoMed's Chairman and CEO. "Recent evidence suggests that oral delivery of NEUGENE antisense compounds may be achievable. True oral delivery of AVI's NEUGENE antisense drugs via DepoMed's GR system would be potentially significant in offering heightened patient convenience at a lower cost," Dr. Fara continued. Antisense compounds target disease at the gene level. Most human disease arises from genes that are malfunctioning, such as one's own genes, or genes from infectious agents. AVI's proprietary gene-targeting technology works by stopping the malfunctioning gene's disease-causing actions. DepoMed's GR system is designed to be retained in the stomach for an extended period of time while it delivers the incorporated drug, allowing enhanced absorption of drugs preferentially absorbed in the upper gastrointestinal tract. DepoMed's GR system provides the potential for oral delivery of drugs that are poorly soluble or insoluble, including drugs that normally require injection. AVI BioPharma develops therapeutic products for the treatment of life-threatening diseases using two technology platforms: cancer immunotherapy and gene-targeted drugs. Its lead clinical agent, AVICINE, is in a Phase II trial in pancreatic cancer and will soon enter a Phase III pivotal trial in colorectal cancer and a Phase II trial in prostate cancer. AVI has begun clinical trials of Resten-NG in cardiovascular restenosis, the first application of its novel third-generation NEUGENE antisense technology. Resten-NG is designed to treat cancer, cardiovascular restenosis and other cell proliferation disorders by inhibiting the production of a cellular transcription factor, the oncogene oncogene Gene that can cause cancer. It is a sequence of DNA that has been altered or mutated from its original form, the proto-oncogene (see mutation). Proto-oncogenes promote the specialization and division of normal cells. c-myc. More information about AVI is available on the Company's website at http://www.avibio.com. DepoMed, Inc., a development stage company, is engaged in the development of new and proprietary oral drug delivery technologies. The Company has developed two types of proprietary oral drug delivery systems, the Gastric Retention System, designed to be retained in the stomach for an extended period of time while it delivers the incorporated drug or drugs, and the Reduced Irritation System, designed to reduce gastrointestinal irritation, a side effect of many orally administered drugs. Additional information about DepoMed may be found at the Company's website at http://www.depomedinc.com. "Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA) implemented several significant substantive changes affecting certain cases brought under the federal securities laws, including changes related to pleading, discovery, liability, class representation and awards fees and of 1995. The statements that are not historical facts contained in this release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, the results of research and development efforts, the results of pre-clinical and clinical testing, the effect of regulation by the FDA FDA abbr. Food and Drug Administration FDA, n.pr See Food and Drug Administration. FDA, n.pr the abbreviation for the Food and Drug Administration. and other agencies, the impact of competitive products, product development, commercialization and technological difficulties, and other risks detailed in the Companies' Securities and Exchange Commission filings. |
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