In Vitro Assays Show rBChE Suppresses Amyloid Plaque Formation
ANNAPOLIS, Md., April 3 /PRNewswire/ -- PharmAthene, Inc., a leading
biodefense company specializing in the development and commercialization of
medical countermeasures against chemical and biological terrorism,
announced today that new data from its recombinant butyrylcholinesterase
(rBChE) research program were recently presented at the 8th International
Conference on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases in Salzburg, Austria.
New research conducted by Dr. Hermona Soreq and co-workers at the
Alexander Silberman Life Sciences Institute at The Hebrew University of
Jerusalem, in collaboration with PharmAthene, examined the role of
recombinant butyrylcholinesterase (rBChE) in the formation of amyloid
plaques, which are believed to play a crucial role in the development of
Alzheimer's disease.
The data presented by Drs. Soreq and Langermann, Vice President and
Chief Scientific Officer for PharmAthene, show that rBChE can effectively
block the formation of amyloid fibrils, precursors to plaque formation in
the brain, potentially attenuating neurotoxicity. These data were
substantiated by transmission electron microscopy studies, which showed
that rBChE dramatically suppressed the formation of fibrils, resulting in
thinner and less branched filaments than would normally occur in patients
with Alzheimer's disease.
Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, which
is estimated to affect more than 4.5 million Americans. One of the
hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease is the accumulation of excessive amyloid
plaques in areas of the brain that control memory and cognition. Amyloid
fibrils are believed to be neurotoxic and interfere with the normal
communication between neurons. A growing body of scientific evidence
suggests that the accumulation of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary
tangles in the brain may play an important role in the development and
progression of Alzheimer's disease.
"The role of amyloid plaques in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's
disease is well documented, and a number of approaches have been studied
which attempt to block their formation by interfering at critical stages in
this complex pathway," commented Hermona Soreq, Ph.D., Professor of
Molecular Biology and Dean of Sciences at The Hebrew University. "Our
preliminary results are especially intriguing as they suggest that rBChE is
effective not only in inhibiting plaque formation, but also in potentially
attenuating neurotoxicity. Examination of formed fibrils using a
newly-developed, computer-aided and quantified electron microscopy method
revealed that rBChE dramatically suppressed the formation of intermediary
fibrils in the incubated mixtures which resulted in significantly fewer
fibrils that were thinner and less branched than those formed without
addition of rBChE. Fibril initiation is believed to be a precursor to
amyloid plaque development. Together these results provide compelling
evidence that rBChE serves as a natural protector against amyloid toxicity
and support the development of rBChE as a therapeutic agent for patients
with Alzheimer's disease."
"Unlike human plasma-derived butyrylcholinesterase (HuBChE), which can
only be produced in limited quantities, PharmAthene's rBChE is developed
using a proprietary production system which enables large scale commercial
production," commented Dr. Solomon Langermann, Vice President and Chief
Scientific Officer for PharmAthene. "We are currently evaluating rBChE for
the prevention and treatment of nerve agent toxicity and have obtained very
promising results showing that rBChE provides enhanced survival without
neurological impairment after exposure to nerve agents. To further this
research, PharmAthene was recently awarded a contract from the Department
of Defense for up to $213 million to support advanced development of
rBChE."
Dr. Langermann continued, "These recent data suggest a promising new
potential therapeutic application for rBChE, which we intend to explore
further. Our next steps, in collaboration with Dr. Soreq and her group,
will include evaluating rBChE in animal models of Alzheimer's disease. If
the results continue to be encouraging, then it would allow us to expand
applications of rBChE therapy to areas other than nerve agent toxicity
resulting in broader commercial applications with important benefits to
society."
The work conducted under the Alzheimer's research program is based on a
patent owned by Yissum (the technology transfer company of The Hebrew
University of Jerusalem), entitled "Human BChE Variants as Protectors from
Amyloid Diseases," which has been licensed to PharmAthene.
About Protexia(R): Recombinant Human Butyrylcholinesterase (rBChE)
Protexia is a form of recombinant human butyrylcholinesterase (rBChE),
a potent organophosphorus (OP) scavenger protein produced in the milk of
transgenic goats, which is being developed for use as a prophylactic
against acute organophosphorus (OP) nerve agent toxicity.
Preclinical research conducted by PharmAthene's development partners,
the US Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense (USAMRICD) and
DRDC Suffield, Defence Research and Development Canada, have demonstrated
the capability of Protexia to protect laboratory animals from the toxic
effects of chemical nerve agents.
In these studies, pre-treatment with rBChE provided 100% survival
against the nerve agents VX and soman. In post-exposure therapeutic
studies, administration of rBChE following nerve agent exposure resulted in
enhanced survival compared to control animals.
While the utility of BChE to protect against nerve agent exposure is
well documented, a major limitation in its development has been the
inability to produce it in commercial volumes due to limited raw material
availability, low levels of the enzyme in blood, and low production yields
using traditional biotechnology methods. To overcome these limitations,
PharmAthene has developed a recombinant form of human BChE, (rBChE),
utilizing transgenic expression in goats which enables substantially higher
production yields. PharmAthene believes that its transgenic technology will
have the capacity to produce sufficient rBChE for both military and
civilian defense.
About PharmAthene, Inc.
PharmAthene, a privately-held biotechnology company, was formed to meet
the critical needs of the United States by developing biodefense products.
PharmAthene is dedicated to the rapid development of important and novel
biotherapeutics to address biological pathogens and chemicals that may be
used as weapons of bioterror. PharmAthene's lead programs include
Valortim(TM) for the prevention and treatment of anthrax infection and
Protexia(R) for the prevention and treatment of morbidity and mortality
associated with exposure to chemical nerve agents. For more information on
PharmAthene, please visit http://www.PharmAthene.com.
In January 2007, PharmAthene announced that it had signed a definitive
merger agreement with Healthcare Acquisition Corp. (Amex: HAQ). HAQ has
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission a preliminary proxy
statement in connection with the proposed merger transaction involving
PharmAthene.
HAQ AND ITS DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AS WELL AS PHARMATHENE AND
ITS DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS MAY BE DEEMED TO BE PARTICIPANTS IN
THE SOLICIATION OF PROXIES FOR THE SPECIAL MEETING OF HAQ'S STOCKHOLDERS TO
BE HELD TO APPROVE THE PROPOSED MERGER. SECURITYHOLDERS AND OTHER
INTERESTED PERSONS ARE URGED TO READ THE PRELIMINARY PROXY STATEMENT
REGARDING THE PROPOSED MERGER FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION ON FEBRUARY 9, 2007 AND THE AMENDMENTS THEREOF AND THE
DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT AS SUCH DOCUMENTS BECOME AVAILABLE AS THEY WILL
CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED MERGER. HAQ'S DEFINITIVE
PROXY STATEMENT, WHEN AVAILABLE, WILL BE MAILED TO HAQ'S STOCKHOLDERS AS OF
A RECORD DATE TO BE ESTABLISHED FOR VOTING ON THE PROPOSED MERGER.
STOCKHOLDERS WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO OBTAIN A COPY OF THE DEFINITIVE PROXY
STATEMENT, WITHOUT CHARGE, BY DIRECTING A REQUEST TO HAQ AT: 2116 FINANCIAL
CENTER, 666 WALNUT STREET, DES MOINES, IOWA 50309. THE PRELIMINARY PROXY
STATEMENT AND DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT, ONCE AVAILABLE, AND THE FINAL
PROSPECTUS AND OTHER SEC FILINGS OF HAQ CAN ALSO BE OBTAINED, WITHOUT
CHARGE, AT THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION'S INTERNET SITE
(http://www.sec.gov).
HAQ AND PHARMATHENE CLAIM THE PROTECTION OF THE SAFE HARBOR FOR
"FORWARD- LOOKING STATEMENTS" WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE PRIVATE SECURITIES
LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS ARE STATEMENTS
THAT ARE NOT HISTORICAL FACTS. SUCH FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS, BASED UPON
THE CURRENT BELIEFS AND EXPECTATIONS OF MANAGEMENT OF HAQ AND PHARMATHENE
REGARDING, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE BUSINESS OF PHARMATHENE AND THE MERGER,
ARE SUBJECT TO RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES, WHICH COULD CAUSE ACTUAL RESULTS TO
DIFFER FROM THE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS.
About Yissum R&D Ltd.
Yissum is the technology transfer company of the Hebrew University of
Jerusalem (HU). It is responsible for marketing the inventions and know-how
generated by the University's renowned researchers and students. The
University's range of intellectual property includes inventions and
know-how in many fields, including nanotechnology, medicine and
pharmaceuticals, agriculture and nutrition, water and environmental
technologies, computer science, homeland security and more. Working closely
with HU researchers and staff, Yissum actively focuses on making these
technologies commercially viable -- and desirable, in the marketplace.
SOURCE PharmAthene, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.pharmathene.com
CONTACT:
Stacey Jurchison, Director, Corporate
Communications of PharmAthene, Inc., +1-410-571-8925, Cell:
+1-410-474-8200, JurchisonS@PharmAthene.com
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