Scientific Findings Strengthen TKT's Intellectual Property Position and
Product Pipeline for Rare Diseases
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/--
Transkaryotic Therapies, Inc. (Nasdaq: TKTX) today announced that its research
collaborators at two European universities have successfully identified an
enzyme, C alpha-formylglycine generating enzyme (FGE), which is essential for
catalytic activity of sulfatases. These findings were published today in the
scientific journal Cell. TKT funded the research initiatives in exchange for
exclusive rights to intellectual property resulting from the research. These
findings should allow TKT and future licensees to significantly improve their
capabilities in developing treatments for sulfatase-based disorders such as
Hunter syndrome (MPS II), Sanfilippo syndrome (MPS IIIA), and Morquio syndrome
(MPS IVA).
"The cloning of the gene responsible for sulfatase activity is a
remarkable scientific achievement," said Michael W. Heartlein, Ph.D., Vice
President of Research at TKT. "We believe this important finding increases
the potential of developing or improving therapies for diseases resulting from
sulfatase deficiency and could provide additional research and development
opportunities for TKT."
About TKT
TKT is a biopharmaceutical company developing therapeutics for the
treatment of rare genetic diseases caused by protein deficiencies. The company
currently markets one product, Replagal(TM) (agalsidase alfa) for the
treatment of Fabry disease in the European Union and certain other countries.
TKT is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts and has a majority-owned
subsidiary in Sweden, TKT Europe-5S AB, which is responsible for European
sales and marketing activities of Replagal. Additional information on TKT is
available on the company's website at http://www.tktx.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding the
potential of sulfatase products, as well as statements containing the words
"believes," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "estimates," "intends,"
"should," "could," "will," "may," and similar expressions. There are a number
of important factors that could cause the company's actual results to differ
materially from those indicated by such forward-looking, including whether TKT
will be able to successfully commercialize any sulfatase product, whether TKT
will be able to utilize and protect its intellectual property, and other
factors set forth under the caption "Certain Factors That May Affect Future
Results" in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2002, which is on file with the Securities and Exchange
Commission and are incorporated herein by reference. While the company may
elect to update forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the
company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so, even if its
expectations change.
Replagal(TM) is a trademark of Transkaryotic Therapies, Inc.
CONTACT:
Justine E. Koenigsberg
Director, Corporate Communications
(617) 349-0271
SOURCE Transkaryotic Therapies, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.tktx.com
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CONTACT:
Justine E. Koenigsberg, Director, Corporate
Communications of Transkaryotic Therapies, Inc., +1-617-349-0271
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