MAX BioPharma Produces New Potent Bone-Targeted Osteogenic Small Molecule Oxysterols; Receives Second NIH Funded SBIR Grant

LOS ANGELES, June 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- MAX BioPharma (www.maxbiopharma.com)announced today that it has successfully designed and synthesized proprietary small molecule oxysterols that are bone-targeted and possess potent osteogenic activity.  The research was conducted as part of MAX BioPharma's first SBIR grant-supported activities in the area of osteoporosis.  The company believes that these novel molecules are ideal candidates for further therapeutic development into bone anabolic agents for the treatment of osteoporosis by targeting specific stem cells in the skeleton that give rise to bone forming cells.  In related news, MAX BioPharma recently received its second SBIR grant from the National Institutes of Health to continue its pursuit of new drugs based on the oxysterol technology for stimulating bone formation in patients with osteoporosis, rebuilding bones that they have lost. 

The company will be presenting at the BIO International Convention to be held in June 2014 in San Diego, California (http://convention.bio.org/2014/).  The company will describe its oxysterol platform and efforts to develop new candidate molecules that have promise for bone growth stimulation and anti-tumorogenic activity.

About MAX BioPharma

MAX BioPharma is a privately-held preclinical stage California-based biopharmaceutical company that is developing novel small molecule lipids as candidates for therapeutic development into future drugs for debilitating and fatal human diseases.  The company will be a leader in a new field of "oxysterol therapeutics" by leveraging a robust and growing intellectual property portfolio that will lead to treatments for numerous indications.  MAX BioPharma's first success based on small molecule lipids has contributed to the discovery of novel osteogenic oxysterol compounds that target multipotent mesenchymal cells, including mesenchymal stem cells, to induce the formation of bone-forming osteoblasts and bone.  The company is translating this technology into the next generation of therapeutic agents for stimulation of bone formation, locally and systemically, in indications such as spinal fusion, non-union fractures, and osteoporosis.  MAX BioPharma is also pursuing the development of small molecule oxysterols that function as Hedgehog pathway antagonists in tumor microenvironment that will be more effective than currently known Hedgehog pathway antagonists in treating a variety of Hedgehog pathway-related cancers, including pancreatic cancer and multiple myeloma.  For more information please visit us at www.maxbiopharma.com

Media Contact: Farhad Parhami
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SOURCE MAX BioPharma