NEW ORLEANS, May 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Kosan Biosciences Inc.
(Nasdaq: KOSN) announced today the results of a study demonstrating that the
potency of its lead motilin agonists could be separated from untoward
tachyphylaxis and that, unlike other motilin agonists tested, the lead Kosan
agonists demonstrated minimal tachyphylaxis. The study data was reported in a
poster entitled "Tachyphylaxis Assays for Motilin Drug Development," on view
Monday, May 17 in Hall F of the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans as
part of the Digestive Disease Week Conference. The study evaluated the
potency, efficacy, and degree of tachyphylaxis of Kosan's motilin agonists in
two in vitro gastric contractility models. Tachyphylaxis -- a decrease in a
drug's efficacy with repeated dosing -- appears responsible for the lack of
efficacy of previous motilin agonists evaluated in human clinical trials.
Motilin agonists are stimulators of gastric motility and act as so-called
"prokinetic agents." Such agents have potential utility in treating disorders
such as diabetic gastroparesis, post-surgical ileus, and gastroesophageal
efflux.
Two models of tachyphylaxis were used to study the effect of repeat dosing
of the known motilin agonists -- ABT-229, GM-611 and erythromycin -- and
Kosan's agonists on the magnitude of the contractile response. In both models,
ABT-229 and GM-611 showed profound tachyphylaxis, while the Kosan motilin
agonists or erythromycin showed insignificant or greatly reduced receptor
desensitization. The poster authors concluded that the Kosan motilin agonists
are suitable for in vivo studies of gastric emptying.
Kosan's motilin agonists are being evaluated in advanced preclinical
studies. Kosan has two other preclinical programs, a discodermolide analog
program focused on cancer and a ketolide program focused on anti-infectives.
About Kosan
Kosan Biosciences has two lead product candidates: KOS-862 and 17-AAG.
Both compounds are derived from an important class of natural products known
as polyketides. KOS-862 is in Phase II and Phase Ib clinical trials and is
partnered with Roche in a global development and commercialization agreement.
17-AAG is being evaluated in multiple Phase I and Phase Ib clinical trials in
collaboration with the National Cancer Institute. 17-AAG is a polyketide
inhibitor of Hsp90 and interrupts several biological processes implicated in
cancer cell growth and survival. By applying its expertise and proprietary
technologies to generate polyketide analogs and by increasing the production
yields of polyketides, Kosan has created a robust pipeline of potentially
significant products for cancer, as well as for infectious disease and other
therapeutic areas. For additional information on Kosan Biosciences, please
visit the Company's website at http://www.kosan.com.
This press release contains "forward-looking" statements, including
statements related to the development and potential efficacy of motilin
agonists for the treatment of gastrointestinal motility disorders. Any
statements contained in this press release that are not statements of
historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. There are a
number of important factors that could cause the results of Kosan to differ
materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements, and other
risks detailed from time to time in the Company's SEC reports, including its
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003 and other
periodic filings with the SEC. Kosan does not undertake any obligation to
update forward-looking statements.
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