Press Releases

HAYWARD, CA (January 21, 2004): Metabolex, Inc., a privately held pharmaceutical firm that discovers and develops drugs to treat diabetes and related metabolic diseases, today announced a one-year extension of its research collaboration with Pfizer Inc. This collaboration, first initiated with Parke-Davis (since acquired by Pfizer) in December 1998, is aimed at discovering new drugs that treat patients with type 2 diabetes by counteracting defects in insulin secretion.

Dr. Van Wart said that the ongoing research collaboration has created a world-leading database of gene sequences expressed in the insulin-producing islets of humans, rats and mice. Using proprietary, customized Affymetrix arrays comprising more than 60,000 of these unique genes and splice variants, Metabolex scientists have compared gene expression in more than 20 cell culture and animal models of diabetes. This effort has resulted in the identification of more than 20 novel targets that are being examined to select the top substrate from which potential glucose-dependent insulin secretion therapeutics may be identified. The partners have already developed high-throughput screens for selected, novel insulin secretion targets and identified small molecules for further evaluation.

Metabolex, Inc. is a privately held pharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery and development of drugs to treat diabetes and related metabolic disorders. The company’s lead compound, metaglidasen, is a novel insulin sensitizer in Phase I-II clinical development. Metabolex has also built a portfolio of other potential diabetes therapeutics, which includes a product candidate in preclinical development and various programs optimizing lead drug candidates. Additionally, Metabolex has two target discovery programs that have produced one of the world’s largest databases of diabetes-expressed genes. One of these programs, in insulin secretion, is partnered with Pfizer. The other, in insulin resistance, is partnered with Astellas Pharma Inc.