Nitto Denko Corporation and Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Announce Development of a High Performance Synthesis Product for the Manufacture of Oligonucleotides
New Solid Support Should Significantly Decrease Cost of Goods
Osaka, Japan / Oceanside, CA / Carlsbad, CA (PRWEB) December 2, 2004 -- Nitto
Denko Corporation, a leading multi-national polymer company, and Isis
Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ISIS), a leader in RNA-based drug discovery and
development, announced today that they have jointly developed a new high
performance solid support for the manufacture of oligonucleotides.
Solid
support is the base structure used in the synthesis of oligonucleotides,
including antisense, RNAi, microRNA, DNA-based; and aptamer drugs and represents
a substantial portion of the cost to manufacture these drugs. The new solid
support has the potential to decrease manufacturing costs in two ways: First, it
is less expensive than currently used solid supports. Second, it has the
potential to increase yield, thereby reducing cost-of-goods.
Nitto Denko
Corporation and Nitto Denko Technical Corporation, a dedicated research and
development facility located in Oceanside, CA, designed and engineered the core
technology for the future solid support. In collaboration with Isis
Pharmaceuticals, the technology was then tested and optimized for
oligonucleotide synthesis. Upon commercialization, the product will be marketed
by Kinovate Life Sciences, Inc., also a wholly owned subsidiary of Nitto Denko
Corp., located in Oceanside
“As an innovator in RNA-based drug discovery
and development, Isis is also a leader in the development of manufacturing
standards for oligonucleotides. This new solid support product enriches our
ability to efficiently develop drugs that improve the lives of patients.
Further, it is an important component in our strategy to encourage and
facilitate the biotechnology industry’s interest in RNA-based technologies
through partnering with outstanding companies like Nitto Denko. Through these
partnerships, we plan to continue to expand our ability to participate broadly
in the success of multiple companies,” said B. Lynne Parshall, Isis’ Executive
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Isis Pharmaceuticals
Nitto
Denko Technical Corporation’s President, Dr. Kenji Matsumoto commented that:
“Through Isis’ expertise in oligonucleotides and our leadership in polymer
chemistries, our companies have made a significant step forward in the field of
oligonucleotide synthesis,” adding that “This material has been demonstrated to
have superior performance across all criteria in both small and large scale
synthesis. We are extremely pleased and fortunate to have been involved with
Isis, the leader in the field of RNA-based therapeutics. Such collaboration
underscores NDT and Kinovate’s emerging position as leaders in the field of life
sciences.”
ABOUT SOLID SUPPORT
Manufacture of oligonucleotide drugs
involves use of solid support matrix upon which chemical reactions happen in a
cyclic manner. The reactions are performed in a synthesizer and are fully
automated. At the end of synthesis, drugs are purified by high performance
liquid chromatography and characterized extensively to check their authenticity
and purity. Thus solid support plays a crucial role in the manufacture of
oligonucleotide drugs. It is increasingly believed that the yield of an
oligonucleotide synthesis is greatly influenced by the proper design of a
polymeric support which undergoes roughly eighty chemical reactions in about
eight hours for a 20-mer oligonucleotide.
ABOUT ISIS PHARMACEUTICALS,
INC.
Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is exploiting its expertise in RNA to
discover and develop novel human therapeutic drugs for its pipeline and for its
partners. The company has successfully commercialized the world’s first
antisense drug and has 12 antisense products in development to treat metabolic,
cardiovascular, inflammatory and viral diseases, and cancer. Through its Ibis
Therapeutics program, Isis is developing a biosensor to identify infectious
organisms, and discovering small molecule drugs that bind to RNA. As an
innovator in RNA-based drug discovery and development, Isis is the owner or
exclusive licensee of more than 1,400 issued patents worldwide. Additional
information about Isis is available at www.isispharm.com.
ABOUT NITTO DENKO
CORPORATION
Incorporated in 1918 and having its head office in Osaka, Japan,
Nitto Denko Corporation designs, manufactures and sells a wide range of products
including adhesive tapes, electronic–related material , and medical related
products, based on its core technologies of polymer synthesis Especially
,polarizing film is a core material used in liquid crystal display and own about
more than 50% of global market. The company promotes ‘Global Niche Top’ strategy
, that selects growth markets, and then seeks to capture a niche area using the
competitive edge of our Group. Consolidated group sales in fiscal year 2004
amounted to US$4.2 billion. Additional information about Nitto Denko Corporation
is available at www.nitto.com.
ABOUT NITTO DENKO TECHNICAL
CORPORATION
Nitto Denko Technical Corporation is a dedicated research and
development facility established in October 2000 at Oceanside, California, USA.
As a subsidiary of Nitto Denko Corporation, it is involved in research of
sophisticated technologies in a variety of new advanced scientific areas, such
as novel materials and devices spanning from optical communication to genetic
engineering.
Nitto Denko Technical Corporation (NDT) has two R&D
divisions-biomedical and optical communication areas. The biomedical division
has extensively studied novel gene-delivery technology, tissue engineering, and
bio-diagnosis technology. The optical communication division focuses and
develops new polymer-based photorefractive materials. In order to accommodate
the rapidly growing divisions, a new and independent research facility for NDT
is in plans to be opened at the beginning of 2005. More information about NDT
can be found at www.ndtcorp.com
ABOUT KINOVATE LIFE
SCIENCES
Kinovate Life Sciences is a new venture capital company, fully seed
funded by Nitto Denko Technical Corporation. Kinovate’s mission of
commercialization and marketing of life science-related technologies developed
at NDT place it at the cutting edge of gene-delivery technology. Kinovate’s
first product, CytoPure, a biodegradable polymer transfection reagent was
launched soon after the company’s inception in January of this year. Subsequent
gene-delivery related products are expected to be launched in late 2004-early
2005. The solid support for oligonucleotide synthesis developed with Isis
Pharmaceuticals is expected to provide a significant stimulus to the Kinovate
business
ISIS FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT
This press release contains
forward-looking statements concerning discovery, development and therapeutic
potential of RNA-based technology and drugs, the potential success of Isis’
collaboration with Nitto Denko and the potential of the company’s intellectual
property position. Any statement describing our goals, expectations, intentions
or beliefs is a forward-looking statement and should be considered an at-risk
statement, including those statements that are described as Isis’ clinical
goals. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties,
particularly those inherent in the process of developing technology and systems
used to identify infectious agents, in discovering and commercializing drugs
that are safe and effective for use as human therapeutics and in the endeavor of
building a business around such products and services. Actual results could
differ materially from those discussed in this press release. As a result, you
are cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These and other
risks concerning Isis’ research and development programs are described in
additional detail in Isis’ Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2003, and quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended
September 30, 2004, which are on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission. Copies of these and other documents are available from the company.
NITTO DENKO FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT
This press release contains
forward looking statements concerning research & development of polymer
materials related to the life sciences area developed by Nitto Denko Corporation
and its subsidiaries, including solid support for oligonucleotide synthesis. Any
and all statements concerning Nitto’s claims, claims, intentions, beliefs, etc
should be considered forward looking statements and as such at-risk. Statements
made above, including those concerning testing results should be considered
observed values, not guaranteed values, and actual results may differ materially
from those mentioned above. Readers of this press release are cautioned to not
rely solely on the forward-looking statements contained above.
Nitto
Denko Technical Corporation and Kinovate Life Sciences, Inc. are wholly owned
subsidiaries of Nitto Denko Corporation.
CONTACTS:
For Technical
Inquiries please contact:
In USA/Europe:
Lei Yu M.D. PhD.
Director of
Gene Technology, Nitto Denko Technical Corporation
Phone:
+1-760-901-2685
E-mail: e-mail protected from spam bots
In
Japan:
Kenjirou Minomi
Manager – Product Development Centre, Nitto Denko
Corporation
Phone: +81-(0)72-621-0284
E-mail: e-mail protected from spam
bots
For all Commercial Inquiries please contact:
Gaby
Silver
Marketing Manager, Kinovate Life Sciences, Inc.
Phone:
+1-760-435-2718
E-mail: e-mail protected from spam bots
For Isis
Pharmaceuticals
Alison Trollope
Executive Director, Isis Pharmaceuticals,
Inc.
Phone : +1-760-603-3880
E-mail : e-mail protected from spam
bots
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/12/prweb184860.htm