29th Nov 2006 07:00
Sinclair Pharma PLC29 November 2006 Sinclair Pharma signs deal with King's College London to acquire novel anti - caries peptide p1025 29 November 2006, Godalming, UK. Sinclair Pharma plc (SPH.L), the internationalspecialty pharmaceutical company, today announced an agreement with King'sCollege London to acquire the exclusive licence rights to develop andcommercialise the peptide p1025, for use in the dental setting. p1025 interferes with the mechanism that allows the bacterium Streptococccusmutans to attach to tooth surfaces and has been shown to maintain this actionfor 120 days (footnote 1). Streptococcus mutans is a major contributor todental caries (footnote 2) and its removal is critical to preventing caries. This mode of action is broadly similar in principle to that of Sinclair'sexisting anti-gingivitis product, Decapinol(TM). Whilst Decapinol interferes with binding of dental plaque bacteria to the surface of the tooth and gums, P1025 offers a prolonged action against a bacterium specifically implicated in the development of caries. Sinclair is exploring the possibility for synergiesbetween p1025 and Decapinol(TM) technologies as part of a major thrust to develop a new approach to the treatment and prevention of dental caries. "Sinclair has a strong commitment to oral health." said Dr Michael Flynn, CEO ofSinclair Pharma plc. "Increasing attention is being paid to the link betweenpoor oral health and other problems such as cardiovascular disease or prematurebirth and we believe this will become an important consideration for the medicaland dental professions. p1025 adds an important new patented technology toSinclair's portfolio and boosts our pipeline in Oral Health. King's DentalInstitute has been a centre of excellence for many years and we are very pleasedto be working with them on this joint project." "I am delighted that our research is being developed by Sinclair Pharma and thatthis brings the technology closer to market," added Charles Kelly, Professor ofOral Immunology. "The Dental Institute at King's is committed to working withindustrial partners to transfer its expertise and knowledge, benefitingpatients, the College and its partners." Enquiries:Capital MS&L Tel: +44 (0) 2 07 307 5330Mary ClarkHalina Kukula Sinclair Pharma plc Tel: +44 (0) 1483 410 600Zoe McDougallJohn Barrington-Carver Notes to editors: p1025 is a peptide that interferes with the cell surface adhesin, "streptococcalantigen I/II". This inhibitory mechanism was first confirmed in an in vitromodel with subsequent testing in humans finding that direct application of p1025to the teeth prevented recolonisation of the oral cavity by S. mutans for fourmonths (footnote 3). The authors of this study noted that "Topical applicationof such peptides at mucosal surfaces does not provide sustained selectivepressure and in contrast to antibiotics, may not induce resistance." Dental Caries Prevention of dental caries is a key target for dental professionals andgovernments of developed and developing nations, particularly among children.The WHO considers that dental caries and periodontal disease have historicallybeen the most important global oral health burdens. Dental caries are still aproblem in most industrialized countries, affecting 60-90% of schoolchildren andthe majority of adults. In 2004 it was reported that the rate of decayed,missing or filled teeth in 12 year olds was 3.0 in the US and 2.6 in Europeancountries, with much lower rates in developing nations (1.7 in Africa). Howeverthe rate of dental caries is increasing in developing countries as the exposureto sugar increases without a parallel increase in exposure to fluoride (footnote4). S. mutans is a well-known contributing risk factor for dental caries. A recentJapanese study (footnote 5) found that 62% of a population of pre-schoolchildren had S. mutans present in the mouth. Along with fluoride andmaintenance of good oral hygiene, controlling S. mutans may be a key solution topreventing dental caries. Decapinol(TM) is Sinclair's novel product for the treatment of gingivitis anddental plaque, and the prevention of periodontitis. Gingivitis is aninflammation of the gums (gingiva), caused primarily by accumulated plaquebacteria at the gum, and characterised by bleeding and discolouration of thegum. First line treatments target the dental plaque, removing it and preventingits recurrence. Decapinol(TM) has a novel, 'intelligent' mode of action. It works at the surface of bacteria, preventing them from adhering to each other or the surface of the tooth, rather than indiscriminately killing good and bad bacteria within the mouth. Decapinol(TM) also has the advantage that it does not cause thesemi-permanent tooth staining caused by competitors. This novel action wasrecognised by the award of the prestigious Frost & Sullivan 2006 "Oral andDental Care - Product of the Year Award". Sinclair has recently signed a marketing partner agreement with Johnson &Johnson's OraPharma Inc. for the rights to sell Decapinol(TM) rinse onprescription in the US. The link between oral health and other diseases Poor oral health, and in particular gum disease, is increasingly considered arisk for other co-morbid conditions. These include poor outcomes in pregnancy,cardiovascular disease, respiratory infections in the acute setting and indiabetes where complications may be exacerbated by periodontitis (footnote 6). Various theories support these links. Bacteria may enter the bloodstreamthrough a compromised barrier in the affected gum area, and affect various otherorgans. Alternatively, oral plaque bacteria release toxins that may enter thecirculation, exerting an inflammatory effect for example on the arteries(footnote 7). Sinclair Pharma plc Sinclair Pharma plc is an international specialty pharmaceutical company. Ithas a growing sales and marketing operation that is already present in France,Italy, the UK, Spain and Portugal, and a complementary marketing partner networkthat spans 60 countries. Sinclair has proven expertise in acquiring or developing commercially attractiveand undervalued products, registering these products and bringing them to marketwithin a short time frame. The company focuses on niche therapeutic areas andits current portfolio includes products for dermatological conditions and oralhealth. www.sinclairpharma.com King's College London Enterprises (KCLE) King's College London Enterprises (KCLE) is the wholly owned enterprise andinnovation company of King's College London. They are responsible for businessdevelopment and commercialisation and for the management of the university'sresearch grants and contracts. King's College London King's College London is the fourth oldest university in England with more than13,700 undergraduates and nearly 5,600 graduate students in nine schools ofstudy based at five London campuses. King's is in the top group of UKuniversities for research earnings, with income from grants and contracts ofmore than £100 million, and has an annual turnover of more than £363 million. Further informationPublic Relations Office, King's College LondonTel: 020 7848 3032 Email: [email protected] "Safe Harbor" Statement under the US Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of1995: Some or all of the statements in this document that relate to futureplans, expectations, events, performances and the like are forward-lookingstatements, as defined in the US Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of1995. Actual results of events could differ materially from those described inthe forward- looking statements due to a variety of factors. Footnotes 1. Kelly CG et al. A synthetic peptide adhesion epitope as a novelantimicrobial agent. Nature Biotechnology 1999 17: 42-47 2. Wilson RF, Ashley FP, Identification of caries risk in schoolchildren:salivary buffering capacity and bacterial counts, sugar intake and cariesexperience as predictors of 2-year and 3-year caries increment. Br Dent J. 1989Aug 5;167(3):99-102 3. Younson J; Kelly C. The rational design of an anti-caries peptideagainst Streptococcus mutans. Mol Divers. 2004;8(2):121-6 4. WHO theme paper: The global burden of oral diseases and risks to oralhealth http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/83/9/661.pdf 5. Okada M et al. Longitudinal study of dental caries incidenceassociated with Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus in pre-schoolchildren. J Med Microbiol 54 (2005), 661-665 6. Jin LJ, Chiu GK, Corbet EF. Are periodontal diseases risk factors forcertain systemic disorders - what matters to medical practitioners? Hong KongMedical Journal, 2003 Feb;9(1):31-7 7. American Academy of Periodontology fact sheet, http://www.perio.org/consumer/mbc.heart.htm This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
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