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Pro-Pharmaceuticals Enters Research Agreement with Global Bio-pharmaceutical Company.


NEWTON, Mass. -- Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Amex: PRW "Parents are watching." See digispeak. ), a company "Advancing Drugs Through Glycoscience([R])", today announced it has entered into a research agreement with one of the worlds largest bio-pharmaceutical companies to enhance the efficacy and safety of its multi-billion dollar chemotherapeutic drug utilizing, DAVANAT([R]), Pro-Pharmaceuticals' proprietary target delivery compound. DAVANAT([R]) has shown in both pre-clinical and clinical studies to improve not only the efficacy of cytotoxic drugs Cytotoxic drugs
Drugs that function by destroying cells.

Mentioned in: Antirheumatic Drugs
 like 5-FU, but also to reduce side effects Side effects

Effects of a proposed project on other parts of the firm.
 associated with this therapy. The goal of the research agreement is to investigate the application of DAVANAT([R]) with the bio-pharmaceutical's novel chemotherapy to improve its pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) profile to enhance treatment against cancer.

"This collaboration is a major milestone in the validation and commercialization of DAVANAT([R]), our first-in-class target drug delivery technology," said David Platt, Ph.D, President & Chief Executive Officer, Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc. "The need to improve the PK/PD PK/PD Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic  profile of drugs, especially anti-cancer therapies and resulting side effects, represents a significant commercial opportunity to our Company. In our clinical studies, we have seen reduced toxicity associated with DAVANAT([R])/5-FU. We believe our technology has the potential to shift the paradigm for the current standard-of-care using chemotherapeutics."

Commercialization Strategy

The Company is developing DAVANAT([R]), initially in combination with chemotherapeutics and biologics to improve cancer patient outcomes, and subsequently to "rescue" drugs that were shelved for toxicity or half-life issues; to use novel carbohydrate polymers to increase the solubility of known drugs, and to develop carbohydrate polymers as new chemical entities. Commercialization may be in the form of direct distribution, sales and marketing agreements, out-licensing, or collaboration with a biotechnology or pharmaceutical company. The Company is using this approach in the U.S. as well as in major international markets

In addition, the Company submitted data to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (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.
) to allow marketing approval for DAVANAT([R]) to be used as a functional excipient excipient /ex·cip·i·ent/ (ek-sip´e-int) any more or less inert substance added to a drug to give suitable consistency or form to the drug; a vehicle.

ex·cip·i·ent
n.
 with 5-FU and Irinotecan, for cancer applications. The Company plans to complete those filings this year. The Company also plans to file a New Drug Application for DAVANAT([R]) when it completes its clinical trials for first line treatment of advanced biliary and colorectal cancers.

Pro-Pharmaceuticals is developing a pipeline of other compounds that are in pre-clinical stage of development to address other chronic diseases. The Company is testing a library of products of marketed chemotherapeutics and biologics, including doxorubicin doxorubicin /doxo·ru·bi·cin/ (dok?so-roo´bi-sin) an antineoplastic antibiotic, produced by Streptomyces peucetius, which binds to DNA and inhibits nucleic acid synthesis; used as the hydrochloride salt and as a liposome-encased , irinotecan, oxaliplatin, cisplatin cisplatin /cis·plat·in/ (sis´plat-in) DDP; a platinum coordination complex capable of producing inter- and intrastrand DNA crosslinks; used as an antineoplastic.

cis·plat·in
n.
, paclitaxel paclitaxel /pac·li·tax·el/ (pak?li-tak´sel) an antineoplastic that promotes and stabilizes polymerization of microtubules, isolated from the Pacific yew tree (Taxus brevifolia); , and bevacizumab (AVASTIN([R])). Pro-Pharmaceuticals is using its technology platform to develop novel anti-fibrosis (scarring of the liver) drugs through a research collaboration with Mount Sinai School of Medicine
This page is about a medical school in New York. For other uses, please see: Mount Sinai (disambiguation)


Mount Sinai School of Medicine is a medical school found in the borough of Manhattan in New York City.
. The Company also has a research agreement with Digna Biotech SL of Pamplona, Spain to investigate the application of DAVANAT([R]) in combination with Digna's novel drugs to improve treatment of chronic Hepatitis C infections. The Company continues to develop and expand its pipeline of carbohydrate compounds in combination with other therapeutics and biologics for various indications.

About DAVANAT([R])

DAVANAT([R])'s mechanism of action is based upon binding to lectins Lectins

A class of proteins of nonimmune origin that bind carbohydrates reversibly and noncovalently without inducing any change in the carbohydrate. Lectins bind a variety of cells having cell-surface glycoproteins (carbohydrate bound proteins) or glycolipids
 on the surface of cancer cells. It is theorized that DAVANAT([R]) targets specific lectin lectin /lec·tin/ (lek´tin) any of a group of hemagglutinating proteins found primarily in plant seeds, which bind specifically to the branching sugar molecules of glycoproteins and glycolipids on the surface of cells.  receptors (Galectins) that are over-expressed on cancer cells. Current research indicates that Galectins affect cell development and play important roles in cancer, including tumor cell survival, angiogenesis angiogenesis /an·gio·gen·e·sis/ (-jen´e-sis) vasculogenesis; development of blood vessels either in the embryo or in the form of neovascularization or revascularization.

an·gi·o·gen·e·sis
n.
 and tumor metastasis metastasis /me·tas·ta·sis/ (me-tas´tah-sis) pl. metas´tases  
1. transfer of disease from one organ or part of the body to another not directly connected with it, due either to transfer of pathogenic microorganisms or to
. This form of targeted delivery may allow for higher doses of chemotherapy with no increase in toxicity.

Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc. - Advancing Drugs Through Glycoscience([R])

Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is engaged in the discovery, development, and commercialization of therapeutic compounds for advanced treatment of cancer, liver, microbial microbial

pertaining to or emanating from a microbe.


microbial digestion
the breakdown of organic material, especially feedstuffs, by microbial organisms.
, cardiovascular, and inflammatory diseases. The Company's initial focus is the development of a new generation of anti-cancer treatments using polymers to enhance the safety and efficacy of chemotherapy agents. The Company's technology also is directed at "rescuing" drugs that were shelved for toxicity or "half-life" issues; increasing the solubility of existing drugs, and developing polymers as new chemical entities. Founded in 2000, the Company is headquartered in Newton, Mass. Additional information is available at www.pro-pharmaceuticals.com. Additional information on the clinical trials and participating sites can be found at www.clinicaltrials.gov, key word: DAVANAT([R]).

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: Any statements in this news release about future expectations, plans and prospects for the Company, including without limitation statements containing the words "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," and similar expressions, constitute forward-looking statements as defined in the "safe harbor" provisions of 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. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to a number of factors and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in such statements. We caution investors that actual results or business conditions may differ materially from those projected or suggested in forward-looking statements as a result of various factors including, but not limited to, the following: uncertainties as to the utility and market for our potential products; uncertainties associated with pre-clinical and clinical trials of our product candidates. More information about those risks and uncertainties is contained in the Company's most recent quarterly or annual report and in the Company's other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. While the Company anticipates that subsequent events may cause the Company's views to change, the Company disclaims any obligation to update such forward-looking statements.

DAVANAT and Advancing Drugs Through Glycoscience are registered trademarks of Pro-Pharmaceuticals. AVASTIN is a registered trademark of Genentech, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2007 Business Wire
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 2007, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

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Publication:Business Wire
Date:Jul 23, 2007
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