Study Shows Investigational Drug Chrysalin(R) Accelerates Blood Vessel Growth
21 September 2005 - 11:00PM
PR Newswire (US)
- Underscores Potential Application of Chrysalin to Enhance Bone
and Tissue Repair - TEMPE, Ariz., Sept. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/
-- OrthoLogic Corp. (NASDAQ: OLGC) today announced that findings
reported in the online version of the Journal of Cellular
Physiology showed that the investigational drug Chrysalin (TP508),
currently being studied in bone and tissue repair, accelerates the
growth of new blood vessels. The preclinical study showed that
Chrysalin enhances the growth of new blood vessels that have
already sprouted (neovascularization) -- which can be an advantage
for bone and tissue repair. "This study shows that Chrysalin acts
early to enhance new blood vessel growth in damaged tissue," said
Dr. James Ryaby, one of the researchers and chief scientific
officer of OrthoLogic. "This is one of several studies published
demonstrating the science behind Chrysalin." Past preclinical
studies have shown that Chrysalin stimulates wound repair and
fracture healing, and that the response is associated with enhanced
growth of new blood vessels. The new study examined more closely
the mechanism by which Chrysalin stimulates neovascularization.
"This study provides further support for our Chrysalin clinical
development program currently underway in fracture repair and
diabetic foot ulcer healing," said Dr. James Pusey, chief executive
officer of OrthoLogic. "In fracture repair, our most advanced
program, we are evaluating the efficacy and safety of Chrysalin in
the largest phase 3 fracture study ever conducted, including 503
patients with wrist fractures. We expect results of this study to
be available in the first half of 2006." Study and Findings In the
study, researchers assessed the ability of Chrysalin to stimulate
neovascularization in cultured fragments of blood vessels from
rats. Chrysalin stimulated new blood vessel sprouts to grow as much
or more than another potent blood vessel growth stimulator,
vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). In contrast to
Chrysalin, fully intact thrombin had no effect or even inhibited
the growth of blood vessel sprouts, suggesting Chrysalin acts
through a non-proteolytic receptor pathway. About Chrysalin(R)
Chrysalin (TP508) is a synthetic 23-amino acid peptide that
represents the receptor-binding domain of the human thrombin
molecule, the naturally occurring agent responsible for blood
clotting and initiating the natural healing cascade of cellular
events responsible for tissue repair -- both soft tissue and bone.
Thrombin acts as a signaling molecule to initiate the early stages
of tissue repair. Since all cells contain high-affinity thrombin
receptors, it is widely accepted that thrombin plays a larger role
in the natural healing cascade than just forming blood clots.
Scientists began developing Chrysalin in 1985, when a class of
synthetic peptides was developed representing a specific
receptor-binding domain of thrombin that activates specific tissue
repair signals. Today, OrthoLogic is exclusively developing several
drug candidates based on the Chrysalin peptide, which mimic part of
the thrombin response without stimulating blood clotting, and
therefore have the potential to accelerate the natural healing
cascade. About OrthoLogic OrthoLogic is a biotechnology company
focused on the development and commercialization of the novel
synthetic peptide Chrysalin(R) (TP508) in three lead indications,
all of which represent areas of significant unmet medical need --
fracture repair, diabetic foot ulcer healing and cartilage defect
repair. Based on the Company's pioneering scientific research of
the natural healing cascade, OrthoLogic has become the leading
company focused on tissue and bone repair. OrthoLogic is committed
to developing a pipeline of novel peptides and other molecules
aimed at helping patients with equally under-served conditions. The
Company maintains exclusive worldwide rights for Chrysalin.
OrthoLogic's corporate headquarters are in Tempe, Arizona. For more
information, please visit the company's Web site:
http://www.orthologic.com/. Statements in this press release or
otherwise attributable to OrthoLogic regarding our business that
are not historical facts are made pursuant to the safe harbor
provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
These forward-looking statements, which include the timing and
acceptability of FDA filings and the efficacy and marketability of
potential products, involve risks and uncertainties that could
cause actual results to differ materially from predicted results.
These risks include: delays in obtaining or inability to obtain
FDA, institutional review board or other regulatory approvals of
preclinical or clinical testing; unfavorable outcomes in our
preclinical and clinical testing; the development by others of
competing technologies and therapeutics that may have greater
efficacy or lower cost; delays in obtaining or inability to obtain
FDA or other necessary regulatory approval of our products; our
inability to successfully and cost effectively develop or outsource
manufacturing and marketing of any products we are able to bring to
market; changes in FDA or other regulations that affect our ability
to obtain regulatory approval of our products, increase our
manufacturing costs or limit our ability to market our products;
our possible need for additional capital in the future to fund the
continued development of our Chrysalin Product Platform; and other
factors discussed in our Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2004 our Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 30,
2005, and other documents we file with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. DATASOURCE: OrthoLogic Corp. CONTACT: media, Lauren
Tortorete of Biosector 2, +1-212-845-5609; or investors, Melanie
Friedman of Stern Investor Relations, +1-212-362-1200, both for
OrthoLogic Corp. Web site: http://www.orthologic.com/
Copyright