GPC Biotech announces two milestones in expanded anti-microbial alliance with Altana Subsidiary Byk Gulden
GPC Biotech, a leading genomics- and proteomics-driven drug discovery company, today announced the achievement of two milestones by using its Reverse Genomics™ mode-of-action technology in its anti-microbial alliance with Byk Gulden, the pharmaceuticals group of Altana AG (ALT.FSE). The two companies expanded their 5-year alliance in the field of anti-microbials in September 2000 to include GPC Biotech's Reverse Genomics™ technology to prioritize antibacterial lead candidates of Byk Gulden for the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infections. The achievement of the two milestones trigger undisclosed milestone payments from Byk Gulden to GPC Biotech.
GPC Biotech achieved the first milestone by successfully clustering the mode-of-action of known antibacterial compounds and differentiating between their various molecular mechanisms. The second milestone was achieved by GPC Biotech using its Reverse Genomics™ technology by analyzing and characterizing Byk Gulden's proprietary lead drug candidates with efficacy against Helicobacter pylori infections. Byk Gulden will use this information in their evaluation and selection of candidate compounds for further pre-clinical and clinical development.
"The data delivered by GPC Biotech is extremely helpful as it allows us to focus on the most promising compounds going forward. We intend to analyze further compounds using their Reverse Genomics™ technology", said Dr. Hans-Joachim Lohrisch, Member of the Managing Board of Altana and CEO & President of Byk Gulden.
"The achievement of two milestones with Byk Gulden represents an important validation of our Reverse Genomics™ technology platform. Reverse Genomics™ serves as a selection filter for compound prioritization and can also be used to identify the molecular targets for compounds with unknown mechanisms of action and to guide the chemical optimization of drug candidates. This technology platform that is currently also used in alliance with Bayer AG is applicable to most therapeutic areas and therefore offers broad commercialization potential", said Bernd R. Seizinger, M.D., Ph.D., President and CEO of GPC Biotech.
Under the 5-year alliance, which was announced in December 1998, GPC Biotech and Byk Gulden agreed to collaborate on the investigation of new molecular targets for the control of infections caused by the bacterial species Helicobacter pylori and Chlamydia pneumoniae using GPC Biotech's technologies. Byk Gulden and GPC Biotech are currently evaluating a number of interesting targets. Helicobacter pylori is an organism with which almost half the world's population is infected and that plays a key role in triggering stomach ulcers. The worldwide market for drugs to treat acid-induced diseases of the stomach is estimated to be greater than Euro 20 billion.
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