Addrenex Pharmaceuticals Licenses New Compound to Sciele Pharma for the Treatment of Hypertension and Other Potential I...(racek M.D. originated the idea while see...)

The company quickly moved to advance its pipeline beyond traditional alpha-2 receptor agonists to compounds that would more selectively target specific subtypes of the alpha-2 receptor.

Alpha-2 receptors are present throughout the brain and body. They bind with adrenergic hormones and neurotransmitters such as adrenalin and noradrenalin to control a wide range of physiological functions. Malfunctions in the alpha-2 receptor pathway have been implicated in a wide range of conditions, including hypertension, pain, addiction, post traumatic stress disorder, menopausal symptoms, aggression and hyperactivity.

Yet few known drugs target the specific receptors involved in such conditions, Khayrallah said.

In December, Addrenex dramatically expanded its potential pipeline of drugs by licensing an existing library of 400 alpha-2 adrenergic compounds from UNeMed, the technology transfer arm at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. These compounds were originally developed by Procter & Gamble and later gifted to the university. Scientists at the university and Addrenex have already begun sifting through the data and examining compounds that appear to have selective affinity for the various alpha 2 receptor subtypes.

ADX415 was selected as a lead compound because of its receptor subtype profile and because it had undergone extensive preclinical and early clinical safety testing.

http://www.addrenex.com/