ALS Biopharma, LLC
Doylestown, PA. 6/25/2010 – ALS Biopharma, LLC today announced the signing of licensing agreements with Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center (WFUBMC) covering the use of the heat shock protein 70 family of proteins for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease) and other neurological disorders. These proteins have been shown to prevent nerve damage in animal models, reduce symptoms in mouse models of ALS, and may provide the basis for novel biologic therapeutic agents.
Under the terms of the license agreement, Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center has given ALS Biopharma an exclusive worldwide license under WFUBMC’s patent rights covering medical uses of members of the heat shock protein 70 family. ALS Biopharma has its own patents pending for further improvement on these molecules that may enhance their therapeutic properties and reduce their manufacturing costs.
“ALS Biopharma’s founding mission has been to rapidly bring therapeutic relief forward to patients with ALS,” said Allen Reitz, Ph.D., Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of ALS Biopharma. “The use of heat shock proteins to relieve the stress in motor neurons that cause the debilitating symptoms of ALS has enormous potential to help reduce the suffering of patients.” Aaron Pawlyk, Ph.D., ALS Biopharma Director of Pharmacology, adds, “We are extremely excited to have the opportunity to work with Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center to develop these novel therapeutic agents.”
ALS Biopharma, LLC is an emerging discovery and development phase biopharmaceutical company focused on rapidly bringing a disease modifying biologic therapy to the clinic for the orphan indication of ALS. ALS Biopharma is located at the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center, a Pennsylvania Keystone Innovation Zone in Bucks County, PA.
