Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Acquires Malignant Melanoma Radiotherapeutic Drug Candidate from Bayer Schering Pharma.Solazed (ZK-BA) is Third Development Candidate in Company's Oncology Pipeline CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it has entered into a worldwide, exclusive licensing agreement with Bayer Schering Pharma to acquire ZK-BA, a compound in development for the treatment of malignant melanoma Malignant Melanoma Definition Malignant melanoma is a type of cancer arising from the melanocyte cells of the skin. Melanocytes are cells in the skin that produce a pigment called melanin. . ZK-BA (Solazed[TM]) joins Azedra[TM] (Ultratrace[TM] iobenguane I 131) and Onalta[TM] (an yttrium-90 radiolabeled somatostatin Somatostatin A naturally occurring regulatory peptide that carries out numerous functions in the human body, including the inhibition of growth hormone secretion from the anterior pituitary gland. peptide analog) in Molecular Insight's portfolio of targeted radiotherapeutic product candidates. Under terms of the agreement, Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals will pay Bayer Schering Pharma a licensing fee and additional payments upon completion of certain regulatory milestones, with royalties payable to Schering upon commercialization of the product. Further terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Solazed is a proprietary, small molecule, benzamide compound that targets melanin melanin (mĕl`ənĭn), water-insoluble polymer of various compounds derived from the amino acid tyrosine. It is one of two pigments found in human skin and hair and adds brown to skin color; the other pigment is carotene, which contributes , an oxygenated form of the amino acid amino acid (əmē`nō), any one of a class of simple organic compounds containing carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and in certain cases sulfur. These compounds are the building blocks of proteins. tyrosine tyrosine (tī`rəsēn), organic compound, one of the 20 amino acids commonly found in animal proteins. Only the l-stereoisomer appears in mammalian protein. , which is over-expressed in approximately 40 percent of melanoma tumors. The compound can be labeled with Iodine-131 for use as a targeted radiotherapeutic and with Iodine-123 for imaging. In preclinical studies preclinical studies, n.pl a term used to describe research done before a clinical study. May be laboratory or epidemiologic research. in xenograft xenograft /xeno·graft/ (zen´o-graft) a graft of tissue transplanted between animals of different species; it may be concordant, mouse models, Solazed demonstrated a reduction in tumor volume and a survival benefit. The compound has also been evaluated in a small, investigator sponsored trial in Europe in which the compound displayed significant and prolonged accumulation in melanoma tumors. There are approximately 48,000 new cases of melanoma in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. annually and about 15,000 deaths. Molecular Insight plans to develop Solazed initially for patients with advanced disease. About Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the emerging field of molecular medicine, applying innovations in the identification and targeting of disease at the molecular level to improve patient healthcare by addressing significant unmet needs. The company is focused on discovering, developing and commercializing innovative and targeted radiotherapeutics and molecular imaging pharmaceuticals with initial applications in the areas of oncology and cardiology. Molecular Insight's lead radiotherapeutic product candidates, Azedra and Onalta, are under development for the treatment of cancer. The company's lead molecular imaging pharmaceutical product candidate, Zemiva(TM) (iodofiltic acid I 123), is in development for the diagnosis of cardiac ischemia, an insufficient blood flow to the heart. Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The company's website is: www.molecularinsight.com. |
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