Elixir Extends Sirtuin Patent Portfolio; Signs Second Exclusive IP License Agreement with University of California.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Elixir Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it has secured an exclusive license to intellectual property from the Regents of the University of California (UC) relating to work done by Eric Verdin, M.D. and his research group with SirT1, a member of the sirtuin class of enzymes, and the HIV TAT (Transcriptional Transactivation) protein. The sirtuins are related to Sir2, a gene identified in yeast that is conserved across species and implicated in the control of lifespan, metabolism, resistance to stress and other cellular regulatory pathways. Modulators of this enzyme class may provide important therapeutic agents for metabolic diseases such as diabetes and obesity, as well as HIV and cancer. Last December, Elixir obtained an exclusive license from UC to intellectual property from Dr. Verdin's laboratory relating to SirT2 and SirT3, two other important members of the sirtuin class.

Alan Watson, Ph.D., MBA, Chief Business Officer at Elixir, commented, "This license agreement with the University of California represents a valuable addition to our expanding intellectual property portfolio surrounding the SirT family of deacetylases and broadens our ability to fully explore the potential of the SirT1 target in our discovery and development programs." Elixir has a comprehensive patent estate related to the sirtuins, including novel compositions and their potential application to disease treatment and longevity.

Eric M. Verdin, M.D. is Associate Director at the Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology and a Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). One focus area in Dr. Verdin's laboratory is the role of protein acetylation and deacetylation in biological processes, specifically the activity of histone deacetylase enzymes (HDACs) that remove acetyl groups from histones and non-histone proteins. The range of cellular proteins and biological processes shown to be affected by acetylation/deacetylation is rapidly growing. Dr. Verdin's group has demonstrated that SirT1 deacetylates the HIV TAT protein, a component of the viral transcription machinery that is required for transcription of the HIV provirus, and could therefore play a critical role in the progression of HIV infection.

About Elixir

Elixir Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company focused on exploiting its Optimal Aging scientific platform to discover, develop, and market new drugs for the treatment and prevention of metabolic disorders, as well as the prevention of age-related diseases. The Company's research and discovery programs are based on a unique understanding of the genetics and biochemical pathways of aging. More information about Elixir is available at www.elixirpharm.com.

About the Gladstone Institutes

The primary research efforts of the J. David Gladstone Institutes are focused on three of the most important clinical problems of modern times: cardiovascular disease, AIDS, and neurodegenerative disorders. The three institutes include the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, the Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology and the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, and are located at a new research facility adjacent to the Mission Bay campus of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). While independent, Gladstone is formally affiliated with UCSF, and Gladstone investigators hold university appointments and participate in many university activities, including the teaching and training of graduate students.