ChemoCentryx Announces Initiation of Phase I Clinical Trial of T487 by Tularik.Business Editors & Health/Medical Writers BIOWIRE2K SAN CARLOS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 17, 2002 Novel Oral Anti-inflammatory Selected from Rich Drug Portfolio Targeting Chemokine chemokine /che·mo·kine/ (ke´mo-kin) any of a group of low molecular weight cytokines identified on the basis of their ability to induce chemotaxis or chemokinesis in leukocytes (or in particular populations of leukocytes) in inflammation. System ChemoCentryx, Inc. today announced the initiation of a Phase I clinical trial Noun 1. phase I clinical trial - a clinical trial on a few persons to determine the safety of a new drug or invasive medical device; for drugs, dosage or toxicity limits should be obtained phase I in the United Kingdom by its partner, Tularik Inc., (Nasdaq:TLRK), for T487, an oral anti-inflammatory drug candidate. T487 is the most advanced clinical candidate in ChemoCentryx's broad pipeline of small molecule chemokine receptor Chemokine receptor A receptor on the surface of some types of immune cells that helps to mediate entry of HIV into the cell. Mentioned in: AIDS antagonists to correct or modify immune system immune system Cells, cell products, organs, and structures of the body involved in the detection and destruction of foreign invaders, such as bacteria, viruses, and cancer cells. Immunity is based on the system's ability to launch a defense against such invaders. response. This study is designed as a dose-escalating trial to evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of T487 in up to 30 healthy volunteers. T487 targets a specific cell surface receptor and is expected to reduce inflammation in conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis rheumatoid arthritis Chronic, progressive autoimmune disease causing connective-tissue inflammation, mostly in synovial joints. It can occur at any age, is more common in women, and has an unpredictable course. , inflammatory bowel disease inflammatory bowel disease n. Abbr. IBD Any of several incurable and debilitating diseases of the gastrointestinal tract characterized by inflammation and obstruction of parts of the intestine. and psoriasis. "We are excited to be working with Tularik to support the advancement of our first clinical candidate into Phase I studies," commented Thomas J. Schall, Ph.D., President 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 ChemoCentryx. "Advancing T487 into human trials serves as continued validation of the quality of our science and our pipeline. This anti-inflammatory drug candidate represents the first of many novel chemokine-based medicines to come out of our drug discovery programs." "We look forward to the results of this Phase I study of T487. The availability of an oral therapy to treat chronic inflammatory illnesses would represent a major advance for patients, especially those who rely on injectable therapies," said David V. Goeddel, Ph.D., CEO of Tularik. "We believe that ChemoCentryx's research in the chemokine area has produced valuable insights into the discovery of small molecules that regulate immune system function." T487 is a small molecule compound designed to inhibit the chemokine activity underlying inflammatory disease by binding to a single chemokine receptor without impairing other important immune system functions. In preclinical models, T487 achieved the desired therapeutic effect and exhibited strong 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. , high potency and excellent selectivity with no apparent side effects Side effects Effects of a proposed project on other parts of the firm. . Under a collaboration that was initiated in 1999, Tularik is evaluating T487 for potential application in a range of inflammatory disorders. Tularik retains worldwide commercialization rights to T487, while ChemoCentryx will receive certain payments in connection with the development and marketing of T487. Discovering New Medicines that Regulate the Chemokine System T487 represents the lead drug candidate in ChemoCentryx's pipeline of novel, orally available medicines to address important diseases such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and cardiovascular disease Cardiovascular disease Disease that affects the heart and blood vessels. Mentioned in: Lipoproteins Test cardiovascular disease . In addition, ChemoCentryx is developing powerful peptide-based immunostimulants with potential application as superadjuvants, prophylactic supervaccines and therapeutic vaccines. The company is a world leader in the biology of the chemokine system, the "master regulator" of immune response. Due to their critical role in immune system regulation, chemokines and chemokine receptors present a rich opportunity for the development of new therapies. Through its proprietary understanding of the chemokine system, ChemoCentryx is able to create potent and specific compounds that achieve the desired therapeutic effect with a minimum of side effects and to markedly accelerate drug discovery and development. About ChemoCentryx ChemoCentryx, Inc. is developing novel medicines for autoimmune and inflammatory disorders, cancer, infectious disease and transplant rejection. Founded in 1997, the company is a world leader in the biology of the chemokine system, the "master regulator" of immune response. The company focuses on potent, new classes of small molecule drugs to selectively inhibit chemokine activity and on peptide-based therapeutics as immunostimulants. Based in San Carlos, California San Carlos is a city in San Mateo County, California, USA on the San Francisco Peninsula, about halfway between San Francisco and San Jose. It is an affluent small residential suburb located between Belmont to the north and Redwood City to the south. , ChemoCentryx is privately held. For further information, please consult the company's website at www.chemocentryx.com. |
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