Provid Announces Publication on MS Drug Candidate, PV-267
MONMOUTH JUNCTION, N.J., Oct. 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Provid Pharmaceuticals Inc. announces a publication in the Journal of Immunology on its promising MS drug candidate, PV-267. The paper, "Small Molecule Inhibitor of Antigen Binding and Presentation by HLA-DR2b as a Therapeutic Strategy for the Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis" is a joint effort of the groups of Prof. Thomas Forsthuber at the University of Texas, San Antonio, Dr. Neil Hayward of Daiamed LLC, and the Provid team, led by Drs. Gary L. Olson and Christopher Self. The paper was published online on October 11, 2013.
The paper presents Provid's novel strategy to inhibit a key pathway in multiple sclerosis that is tied to the genetic profile of patients. PV-267 specifically blocks MHC Class II DR2b (DRB1*15:01), the most important gene target in MS, carried by a majority of patients (ca. 700,000 worldwide). PV-267 blocks the ability of DR2b to bind and present antigenic myelin fragments to autoreactive T cells, disrupting the disease process.
Dr. Forsthuber remarked, "We found PV-267 to be a very effective DR2b blocker but it does not otherwise seem to affect the immune system, indicating a potentially superior safety profile relative to other disease-modifying drugs available to treat MS. The paper describes the design and evaluation of PV-267 in immunological assays in humanized mouse and human cells, and its efficacy in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an MS model in DR2b transgenic mice."
Dr. Olson, Provid CEO, commented on the development of PV-267, "The need for effective and safe drugs for multiple sclerosis led us to pursue research leading to PV-267. We are very pleased with the convincing results of efficacy and immunological safety that have emerged from our collaboration with Dr. Forsthuber. Our next step is to complete preclinical development studies needed prior to initiation of clinical trials."
The research described was funded through Provid's partnership with Fast Forward, LLC, the venture arm of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and by a grant from the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke.
About Provid
Provid Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a drug discovery company that has expertise in structure-aided design, medicinal chemistry, and peptide mimetics technology. The company has applied this capability to programs in autoimmune disease, leading to PV-267 for MS.
Contact:
Dr. Gary L. Olson
Provid Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Tel: (732) 565-1101 x 626
Email: [email protected]
www.provid.com
SOURCE Provid Pharmaceuticals Inc.
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