Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation Funds Signum Biosciences to Move Novel Therapeutics Towards Clinic

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Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation

Mar 31, 2010, 10:00 ET

NEW YORK, March 31 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) announced today that it is providing a grant of $270,000 to Signum Biosciences, Inc. (Princeton, NJ) to evaluate small-molecule, orally delivered Protein Phosphatase 2a (PP2A)-modulatory compounds as disease-modifying therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease.

Signum is developing lipid signal transduction modulators (STMs) for chronic neurodegenerative and inflammatory diseases. Signum's STM technology, a promising new approach to Alzheimer's, was licensed from the Princeton University Laboratory of Professor Jeffry Stock, a Signum cofounder and leader in signal transduction research. STMs activate PP2A, a master regulatory protein that, if compromised, can generate signaling imbalances leading to neuronal death and cognitive decline.

The ADDF's award will fund work with rodent Alzheimer's models to expand upon pilot studies and establish STM dosing levels and biomarker endpoints. The research provides critical steps necessary to advance Signum's novel strategy into the clinic.

"Signum is exploring a promising new path towards disease modification," said Howard Fillit, MD, the ADDF's Executive Director. "Moreover, they have an innovative business model that is well aligned with the growing unmet medical need for therapeutics. If Signum's research bears fruit, the near and long-term benefit to the Alzheimer's disease community will be significant."

Dr. Gregory Stock, Signum's CEO, said: "We are honored to be selected for one of ADDF's highly competitive, peer-reviewed grants. The class of STMs we are evaluating pre-clinically has yielded positive pilot results in a transgenic Alzheimer's mouse model. This grant will accelerate the advance of both our pharmaceutical leads and a related small molecule that is a minor constituent of coffee. Various studies have shown that consumption of coffee is correlated with reduced incidence of Alzheimer's, so this coffee component might provide a neuroprotective medical food to serve as a near-term stopgap against the disease."

For more information about the ADDF or to speak with Dr. Fillit, please contact Filomena Machleder at 212-901-8004 or [email protected]. For information about Signum or to speak with Dr. Gregory Stock, please contact Carmela Graci at (732) 329-6344 or [email protected].

About the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (www.AlzDiscovery.org)

The ADDF is the only public charity whose sole mission is to accelerate the discovery and development of drugs to prevent, treat and cure Alzheimer's disease, related dementias and cognitive aging. The ADDF uses a venture philanthropy model to bridge the worldwide funding gap between basic research and later-stage development, using any return on investment to support new research. Since 1998, the ADDF has granted more than $40 million to fund over 295 Alzheimer's drug discovery programs in academic centers and biotechnology companies in 15 countries.

About Signum Biosciences, Inc. (www.signumbiosciences.com)

Signum is a privately held biotech spinoff of Princeton University that develops analogs and mimetics of natural lipid ligands crucial to cellular regulation and signaling. These proprietary lipid mediators, termed "Signal Transduction Modulators" or STMs, have significant pharmaceutical potential for treating regulatory dysfunctions underlying Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Rosacea, Psoriasis and other diseases. The company's strong science has been validated by clinical and pre-clinical studies, publications, peer-reviewed grant awards, corporate partnerships, and academic research collaborations. Signum's academic partners include groups at Princeton University, Cornell Weill Medical Center, University of Pennsylvania, University of Texas, Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center, NY State Inst. for Basic Research, University of Maryland Medical School, and Laval University. Signum's first product, a topical OTC anti-inflammatory for Atopic Dermatitis, launches in June 2010 in Japan with its partner Rohto Pharmaceuticals.

This press release may contain "forward-looking" statements identified by words such as "will," "achieve," and "enable." There are a number of important factors that could cause Signum's results to differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements.

SOURCE Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation