LoneStar Heart Acquires Worldwide Exclusive Rights to New Class of Small Molecules That May Lead to New Treatments for Diabetes

LAGUNA HILLS, Calif., Jan. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- LoneStar Heart Inc., based here, today announced that it has acquired a worldwide exclusive license from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UT Southwestern) to commercialize a new class of patented small molecules known as Isoxazoles that markedly increase insulin production in human pancreas cells no longer able to produce insulin. Activating the entire biochemical pathway involved in insulin production, the molecules may represent a new approach to developing treatments for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

"Our exclusive license with UT Southwestern builds upon previous licensing agreements with broad coverage for the small molecules involved," explained Frank Ahmann, president and chief operating officer of LoneStar Heart Inc. "Research at UT Southwestern has shown that, in addition to their potential application to diabetes, they may also modulate the differentiation of stem cells into nerve cells, and they can induce a population of progenitor cells found in the heart to become cardiac muscle cells." Progenitor cells are a type of adult stem cell that is further differentiated toward becoming its target cell, and act as a repair system for the body.

Small Molecules Provide Dramatic Improvement in Malfunctioning Pancreas Cells

As reported in the December 20, 2011 issue of the journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), the research was conducted by Elhadji Dioum Ph.D. and other UT Southwestern researchers led by Jay W. Schneider, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of cardiology and internal medicine, and professor Melanie H. Cobb, Ph.D. They showed Isoxazoles were able to induce insulin expression in human beta cells two-to-twelve months old that progressively lose their ability to produce insulin. Beta cells of the pancreas are responsible for secreting insulin, the hormone that controls the level of glucose in the blood. Preliminary experiments in mice indicate the compounds have little toxicity. "Isoxa­zole is among relatively few single molecules known that can improve beta-cell function dramatically," the study concludes.

Diabetes is a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the body does not produce enough insulin (type 1 diabetes), or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced (type 2 diabetes). More than one-third of the U.S adult population is at risk for type 2 diabetes, the most prevalent form of the disease. During the development of type 2 diabetes, beta cells become progressively unable to produce insulin, causing the blood sugar to rise dangerously, leading to increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, diabetic retinopathy where eye sight is affected, and kidney failure.

The research is part of LoneStar Heart's broad program of developing small molecules and proteins that have the capacity to switch native, cardiac stem cells into adult heart muscle cells as a means of restoring and repairing damaged heart tissue. These mechanisms are typically repressed in adult hearts injured by myocardial infarction, advanced age, and other diseases.

About LoneStar Heart Inc.

LoneStar Heart Inc. is developing cardiac restorative therapies for patients with heart fail­ure that harness the heart's ability to repair itself. Based on its integrated cardiomechanical and biomolecular technologies, the privately held company is advancing a broad portfolio of pro­ducts to restore the failing heart's structure and function in collaboration with the Texas Heart Institute, UT Southwestern, and a global network of leading clinicians. These products include Algisyl-LVR™, cardiac stem-cell modulators, and cellular and genetic therapies delivered as stand-alone treatments, or in combination with the company's biopolymer matrix system.

LoneStar Heart's lead product, Algisyl-LVR, is a single-use, self-gelling biopolymer implanted into the heart's left ventricle during surgery. Providing internal tissue support, Algisyl-LVR is aimed at preventing the progression of heart failure and restoring the heart's normal structure and function with a significant improvement in the patient's quality of life. Classified as a medical device, the product is undergoing a randomized controlled clinical study (AUGMENT-HF) in Europe to evaluate its safety and efficacy in patients with advanced heart failure.

About UT Southwestern Medical Center

UT Southwestern Medical Center, one of the premier medical centers in the nation, integrates pioneering biomedical research with exceptional clinical care and education. Its faculty has many distinguished members, including five who have been awarded Nobel Prizes since 1985. Numbering more than 2,600, the faculty is responsible for groundbreaking medical advances and is committed to quickly translating science-driven research to new clinical treatments. UT Southwestern physicians provide medical care in 40 specialties to more than 100,000 hospitalized patients, and oversee nearly 2 million outpatient visits a year.

Physicians care for patients in the Dallas-based UT Southwestern Medical Center; in Parkland Health & Hospital System, which is staffed primarily by UT Southwestern physicians; and in its affiliated hospitals, Children's Medical Center Dallas, Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children and the VA North Texas Health Care System. UT Southwestern programs are offered in Waco, Wichita Falls, Plano/Frisco and Fort Worth. Three degree-granting institutions – UT Southwestern Medical School, UT Southwestern Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and UT Southwestern School of Health Professions – train nearly 4,600 students, residents and fellows each year. UT Southwestern researchers undertake more than 3,500 research projects annually, totaling more than $417 million.

SOURCE LoneStar Heart Inc.