Business
Cancer Program Update
Cancer Program Update.
About this update from Sareum Holdings Plc
[{"type":"text","content":"\n Sareum Holdings PLC\n15 May 2007\n\n\nFor immediate release 15 May 2007\n\n\n\n SAREUM HOLDINGS PLC\n\n (\"Sareum\" or \"the Company\")\n\n\n\n\n\n Advancement of Internal Cancer Drug Discovery Program\n\nSareum Holdings plc (Sareum) (AIM: SAR), the specialist structure-based drug\ndiscovery business, is pleased to announce that it has developed, and filed\npatent applications on, novel small molecule compounds which show promising\nactivity against two significant cancer drug discovery target types.\n\nThese targets are the Aurora and FLT kinases, believed to be key to the\nregulation of cell division and proliferation, which control different stages in\nthe development of a tumour. It is believed that a drug simultaneously able to\ninhibit the function of both targets will be more effective against cancer than\nan inhibitor that acts on a single target. The associated patent filings are\npart of the Company's strategy to secure the intellectual property rights\nrelating to the novel compound series developed from this program and their use\nin the treatment of cancer.\n\nSareum has used its expertise in fragment and structure-based drug discovery to\nidentify novel chemical compounds effective against these cancer drug targets.\nThese compounds have been rapidly progressed towards drug candidates utilising\nSareum's high throughput medicinal chemistry and structure determination\nplatforms. Additionally, key assets, including the determination of a hitherto\nun-reported Aurora kinase sub-type structure, have been developed by scientists\nat Sareum.\n\nThis program is currently wholly owned by Sareum and forms a key part of the\nCompany's internal oncology portfolio, which also includes the Checkpoint Kinase\nprogram announced in February 2007.\n\nCommenting on the announcement, Sareum's Chief Executive Officer, Dr Tim\nMitchell, said: \"The progress of these compounds represents a further milestone\nin Sareum's strategy to generate value through our in-house drug discovery. We\nare actively seeking licencing partners for this program to assist the\nadvancement of these novel chemical series through to clinical candidate\nnomination.\"\n\nSareum Holdings plc 01223 497700\n\nTim Mitchell, Chief Executive Officer\n\nBuchanan Communications 020 7466 5000\n\nTim Anderson, Mary-Jane Johnson\n\nGrant Thornton Corporate Finance 020...