BURLINGAME, Calif., April 18 /PRNewswire/ -- BioSeek, Inc., a leader in
applying integrated human biology systems for developing new therapeutics,
announced today that it has been awarded a contract from the United States
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to utilize its BioMAP(R) Systems
technology to profile the toxic effects of compounds in the agency's
ToxCast(TM) program. The program's goal, following a proof-of-concept
phase, is to generate data on the toxicities of up to 10,000 environmental
chemicals, as well as on the potential impact of these chemicals on the
environment and human health. Under the contract, BioSeek is eligible to
receive a maximum of $12.8 million over a period of two to five years. The
specific value of the award will depend on the volume of testing required
during the contract period.
BioSeek will analyze chemical compounds in the ToxCast program with its
primary human cell-based systems biology technology, BioMAP Systems.
Compounds will be profiled in systems designed to model human tissue and
disease states with endpoints including inflammatory responses, cell
proliferation, cell death and tissue remodeling. Primary cells to be used
in these assays include endothelial cells, peripheral blood mononuclear
cells, bronchial epithelial cells, fibroblasts, keratinocytes and vascular
smooth muscle cells. With these assays, BioSeek profiles the activity of
compounds within the context of key human biology functions, and classifies
compounds according to their mechanisms of action.
"BioSeek's participation in the ToxCast program complements our ongoing
work with the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, and also
capitalizes on BioMAP's ability to detect toxicities, characterize the
mechanisms of biologically active compounds and, in the pharmaceutical
context, to identify potential clinical applications of drug candidates
early in the development process," said Peter Staple, Chief Executive
Officer of BioSeek. "We believe that this contract illustrates the value of
our technology not only for drug development efforts, but also for
providing the EPA with important information on the biological effects of
exposure to environmental chemicals."
The results from the ToxCast program will aid the EPA in prioritizing
chemicals with the greatest potential health threat for additional, more
detailed testing in a cost-effective, efficient manner. The five-year
effort was initiated by the EPA's National Center for Computational
Toxicology (NCCT) and will be divided into three phases of evaluation.
BioSeek's BioMAP Systems utilize human primary cell-based assay systems
to model complex biology of human diseases. Depending on their mechanism of
action, compounds induce specific patterns of changes in these systems
(BioMAP profiles) that can be compared to thousands of reference profiles
in BioSeek's database. BioMAP profiling can provide in-depth
characterization of drug function, including defining mechanism of action
and secondary activities, and can provide insights into potential clinical
applications. In addition to characterizing previously identified lead
compounds, BioSeek is using BioMAP Systems for primary screening, to
rapidly generate lead compounds that have novel activity in specific
disease settings.
About BioSeek
BioSeek is improving the success rate of pharmaceutical research and
development by integrating human biology from the early stages of drug
discovery onward. The Company's BioMAP(R) Systems incorporate predictive
human cell-based disease models that generate uniquely informative activity
signatures for each potential drug, driving the selection and development
of new drug candidates. BioSeek is leveraging BioMAP(R) Systems technology
in collaborations to enhance the productivity of its pharmaceutical
partners' pipelines, and in the Company's internal programs to identify
promising compounds for proprietary development in the fields of
inflammation, cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases and related
indications.
For more information, go to http://www.bioseekinc.com
BioSeek Contacts:
BioSeek, Inc.
Peter D. Staple, Chief Executive Officer
Tel: 650.552.0751
E-mail: pstaple@bioseekinc.com
MacDougall BioMedical Communications
Kari Watson
Tel: 508.647.0209
E-mail: kwatson@macbiocom.com
SOURCE BioSeek, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.bioseekinc.com
CONTACT:
Peter D. Staple, Chief Executive Officer of
BioSeek, Inc., +1-650-552-0751, or pstaple@bioseekinc.com; or
Kari Watson, MacDougall BioMedical Communications,
+1-508-647-0209, or kwatson@macbiocom.com
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