Sialix Forms Scientific Advisory Board and Business Advisory Board

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Dec. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sialix, Inc., a company developing products for the treatment and prevention of cancer and chronic inflammatory conditions, today announced the establishment of both a Scientific Advisory Board and a Business Advisory Board. In addition, effective November 26, 2012 the company's laboratory facilities moved to Janssen Labs at San Diego. Corporate headquarters will remain in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Sialix' Scientific Advisory Board will help to guide and advise the company as it continues research efforts focused on the development of products to treat and prevent diseases associated with the ingestion of non-human sialic acid (Neu5Gc) found in red meat and other dietary sources. The Business Advisory Committee will provide strategic guidance on advancing both an oncology therapeutic targeting ovarian and other solid tumors, and a prophylactic nutritional supplement to reduce inflammation and the resulting risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease.

The Sialix laboratory operations will be located at Janssen Labs at Janssen Research & Development, LLC in San Diego, CA. Janssen Labs is a 30,000 square-foot life science innovation center, located within the Janssen Research & Development, LLC's West Coast Research Center. The labs provide a flexible environment for start-up companies pursuing new technologies and research platforms to advance medical care.

"We are honored to have assembled such a prestigious group of scientific and business experts, and are looking forward to the valuable insights and advice we will gain from their involvement," said Jeff Behrens, Chief Executive Officer of Sialix. "Moving our research operations to Janssen Labs provides an opportunity to advance our research and development programs in a more productive, cost effective manner."

Joining the Sialix Scientific Advisory Board are:

• Galit Alter, Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School
• Robert Anthony, Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School
• Brian Collins, Senior Scientist, Momenta Pharmaceuticals
• Nicholas Haining, Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School
• Ganesh V. Kaundinya, Co-Founder, CSO and SVP of Research, Momenta Pharmaceuticals
• Shiv Pillai, Professor, Harvard Medical School
• Sean Stevens, Vice President of Research, Ablexis
• Ajit Varki, Distinguished Professor, UCSD
• Todd Zion, Entrepreneur and Advisor (previously CEO, SmartCells)

Joining the Sialix Business Advisory Board are:

• Ed Cannon, CEO, Unigen
• John Ripple, Owner, Ripple Biotech
• Roger Swanhey, SVP, Novartis International
• Todd Zion, Entrepreneur and Advisor (previously CEO, SmartCells)

About Neu5Gc Sialic Acid and Chronic Inflammation

A key molecular difference between other mammals and humans that may contribute to chronic inflammation is the inability of humans to produce N-glycolylneuraminic acid ("Neu5Gc"), a common sialic acid found in other mammals.  Sialic acids are one of the common glycan carbohydrates found at the end of glycan chains attached to many proteins. Humans lost the ability to make Neu5Gc ~3 million years ago due to a gene deletion that rapidly swept through the human population.  However, today most humans ingest Neu5Gc regularly through dietary intake of red meat and dairy products.  After ingestion, Neu5Gc can be incorporated into the surface of human cells and subsequently treated as a foreign antigen by the immune system, resulting in a chronic inflammatory response. This chronic inflammatory state may help explain the association between dietary red meat and the progression of cancer and cardiovascular disease, as well as other chronic inflammatory disorders.

About Sialix, Inc.

Sialix, Inc is developing products for the treatment and prevention of cancer and chronic inflammatory conditions associated with ingestion of non-human sialic acids which are found in red meat and other dietary sources. Sialix has licensed a broad patent portfolio from UCSD and assembled a team of industry veterans and glycobiology experts to support the development of these products. The company is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Learn more at www.sialix.com

SOURCE Sialix, Inc.