Myriad Genetics issued new patent under license

Myriad Genetics has announced the issuance of Patent No. 6,911,466 entitled, "AB42 Lowering Agents". Myriad holds exclusive rights to the patent under a licensing agreement with Mayo Clinic. The patent covers methods of using a broad class of compounds known as selective amyloid beta 42 lowering agents (SALAs) to lower levels of the toxic peptide.

Amyloid beta 42 is a neurotoxic peptide that is the primary constituent of senile plaques that accumulate in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease. It is thought to be the key initiator of Alzheimer's disease since this peptide has the greatest tendency to aggregate, cause neuronal damage and initiate amyloid deposits in the brain. Most genetic mutations that cause early-onset Alzheimer's disease appear to do so by increasing production of Abeta42.

"This patent broadens our intellectual property base around selective amyloid beta lowering agents, further protecting our investment in the commercialization of our investigational drug Flurizan(TM) and expanding our rights to other AB42 lowering compounds," said Peter Meldrum, President and Chief Executive Officer of Myriad Genetics, Inc.

Flurizan is the first in a new class of drug candidates known as selective amyloid beta 42 lowering agents (SALAs). Flurizan lowered levels of Abeta42 in cellular assays and animal models. Myriad believes that Flurizan is the first well-tolerated drug that inhibits the production of Abeta42 to be evaluated in a clinical trial for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Flurizan is currently in a Phase 3 clinical trial in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease. The trial protocol is double-blind, placebo-controlled and patients are randomized into one of two arms, 800 mg twice daily or placebo. The trial will study the safety and effectiveness of Flurizan in a large population of approximately 1600 patients from approximately 150 investigative sites across the United States.