S*BIO to Develop New JAK-2 Inhibitor for Treatment of Myeloproliferative Disorders and Hematological Malignancies
SINGAPORE, September 11, 2007 /PRNewswire/ -- S*BIO Pte Ltd today announced the development of a novel and proprietary orally-administered compound, SB1518, for the treatment of myeloproliferative disorders (MPD) and certain hematological malignancies. MPD is believed to be caused by a specific mutation (V617F) of JAK2 and is a closely related group of hematological malignancies in which the bone marrow develops and functions abnormally. MPD is characterised by an excess of blood cells and the three main disorders include polycythemia vera (excess red blood cell mass), essential thrombocythemia (excess blood platelets) and myelofibrosis. S*BIO is a privately-held biotech company focusing on the research and clinical development of novel targeted small molecule drugs for the treatment of cancer.
SB1518 is a small molecule JAK2-selective kinase inhibitor. It has high potency against both the wild type JAK2 kinase and the JAK2 kinase with the activating V617F mutation which is found in high frequencies among three types of MPD and in some leukemias. By targeting the JAK2 activating mutation, SB1518 has the potential to interfere with a key mechanism driving the progress of MPD and other diseases.
"SB1518 has demonstrated excellent anti-proliferative and anti-tumor activity, combined with very good tolerability in relevant in vitro and in vivo models. SB1518 will address an important unmet medical need due to the lack of specific and effective long-term medical treatment for patients with MPD," said Dr. Jan-Anders Karlsson, CEO of S*BIO. "This promising new compound is our second success in the last twelve months and represents an important step in building S*BIO's strong pipeline of proprietary, targeted anti-cancer compounds."
In addition to SB1518, S*BIO has a robust pipeline including SB939, the company's lead histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor which is currently in Phase 1 clinical trials. S*BIO's target-driven approach to innovative small molecule therapies for cancer is built on a profound understanding of cancer biology, which the company aggressively translates into "best-in-class" and "first-in-class" drugs. The company has a strong team of experienced drug discovery scientists and biologists, and state-of-the-art infrastructure which includes a comprehensive technology platform covering the drug discovery value chain, from target identification and validation through lead optimisation to pre-clinical and clinical development.
About S*BIO Pte Ltd
S*BIO is a privately-held biotech company focused on the research and clinical development of novel targeted small molecule drugs for the treatment of cancer with leading programs around histone deacetylases (HDAC) and kinases. Its lead candidate, SB939, has entered the clinic in 2Q 2007.
In line with its vision to be a leading fully-integrated oncology-focused biotech company in Asia Pacific, S*BIO has established a state-of-the-art R&D infrastructure, complemented by a strong clinical development team. S*BIO has strong linkages with a network of medical oncologists in Asia Pacific. More information about S*BIO can be found at http://www.sbio.com.
S*BIO Pte Ltd: Russo Partners:
Stephen Keith Rhind, Ph.D. Tony Russo +1 212-845-4251
Senior Vice President,
Corporate Development Andreas Marathovouniotis +1 212-845-4253
Tel: +65 6827 5000 (Singapore)
Tony.Russo@russopartnersllc.com
Andreas.Marathis@russopartnersllc.com
Stephen_rhind@sbio.com
CONTACT: Stephen Keith Rhind, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, CorporateDevelopment of S*BIO Pte Ltd, +65 6827 5000 (Singapore),; or Tony Russo, +1-212-845-4251,, or Andreas Marathovouniotis,+1-212-845-4253, , both of RussoPartners, for S*BIO Pte Ltd Stephen_rhind@sbio.com Tony.Russo@russopartnersllc.com Andreas.Marathis@russopartnersllc.com
Web site: http://www.sbio.com/
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Posted: September 2007
