Seaside Therapeutics LLC today announced the issuance of U.S. patent
7,648,993 B2 (‘993 patent), which covers methods of treating autism with
group 1 antagonists of the metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR)
pathway. An earlier related patent, U.S. patent 6,890,931 B2 (‘931
patent), was issued in 2005 and covers methods of treating Fragile X
Syndrome, the most common known cause of autism, with group 1
antagonists of the mGluR pathway. Related patents have also issued in
Europe (EP 1 392 363 B1) and have been allowed in Canada. Together,
these patents form the foundation of Seaside’s intellectual property
estate. The method of use claims in these patents reflect critical
observations of the mGluR pathway and its implications in the causation
of Fragile X Syndrome, autism and other disorders of brain development.
“The ‘993 autism patent
and the ‘931 Fragile X patent are cornerstones in our intellectual
property portfolio and support the development of targeted therapeutics
that regulate the mGluR pathway to potentially correct or fundamentally
alter the course of brain development and function in brain development
disorders.”
Groundbreaking research conducted by Seaside Therapeutics' scientific
founder, Mark F. Bear, Ph.D., Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Investigator and Picower Professor of Neuroscience at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, demonstrated that the mGluR5 signaling pathway
is disrupted in patients with Fragile X Syndrome. Further research based
on these findings has provided insight for developing novel medications
to normalize the function of the mGluR pathway, which Seaside believes
will extend into a number of brain developmental disorders, including
autism.
“The mGluR pathway plays a critical role in the development of Fragile X
Syndrome and autism,” said Randall L. Carpenter, M.D., President and
Chief Executive Officer of Seaside Therapeutics. “The ‘993 autism patent
and the ‘931 Fragile X patent are cornerstones in our intellectual
property portfolio and support the development of targeted therapeutics
that regulate the mGluR pathway to potentially correct or fundamentally
alter the course of brain development and function in brain development
disorders.”