Euroscreen Extends Its Patent Estate for CCR5 Chemokine Receptor and AIDS

First European patent awarded for uses of CCR5 chemokine receptor, a crucial target for novel AIDS therapy - Euroscreen s.a., a world leader in G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), today announced the issue of a key European patent (0 883 687B1) in the area of HIV infection. The patent claims screening methods using the human CCR5 receptor to single out compounds as well as antibodies which can be used in the treatment and/or prevention of HIV infection. Such antibodies are also protected by claims section.

BRUSSELS, Belgium (PRWEB) November 4, 2004 -- Euroscreen s.a., a world leader in G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), today announced the issue of a key European patent (0 883 687B1) in the area of HIV infection. The patent claims screening methods using the human CCR5 receptor to single out compounds as well as antibodies which can be used in the treatment and/or prevention of HIV infection. Such antibodies are also protected by claims section.

The CCR5 receptor plays a central role in the mechanism by which human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) binds to and enters white blood cells, and therefore represents a key target in the search for effective novel treatments for HIV infection and AIDS. Antibody therapy is one potential approach to blocking HIV entry as an AIDS therapy.

Pursuant to an agreement dated January 2003, Euroscreen and ICOS combined their respective patent estate with regards to CCR5 technology. This combination built a comprehensive patent portfolio for CCR5 which enables Euroscreen to offer the rights to companies who are developing therapeutic drugs as well as antibodies that modulate the CCR5 receptor.

Commenting on the announcement, Dr Pierre Nokin, Euroscreen President and CEO said: In 2004 we have both strengthened and extended our portfolio with regards to CCR5, a popular target included in the pipeline of several big pharma and biotech companies for its crucial role as HIV co-receptor. Together with ICOS, our combined portfolio covers both the relevant aspect of the CCR5 technology and the major areas in which innovative research is done. This first European patent award is a significant milestone in the development of Euroscreen, as it represents and justifies many years of outstanding work performed by Prof. Marc Parmentier (CSO of Euroscreen) and his scientific team."

The CCR5 receptor and its role in various diseases
The CCR5 receptor belongs to a family of cell membrane proteins called G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Specifically, CCR5 is found on the surface of T cells (white blood cells), which form part of the human immune system. The protein consists of 352 amino acids and spans the T-cell membrane seven times. Under normal circumstances, CCR5 binds certain proteins known as chemokines, which act as chemical attractants recruiting immune cells to sites of inflammation.

CCR5 is considered as a drug target in the field of HIV, but also in a growing number of inflammatory diseases. The potential of CCR5 as a key target for several therapies is very promising due to the significant safety profile already seen for both small molecule and antibody drug candidates presently in human clinical trials for HIV from a number of companies and will soon also enter clinical trials for the treatment of other disorders such as Graft rejection, multiple sclerosis or rheumatoid arthritis.

For further information, please contact:
Euroscreen s.a.   Tel: +32 71 348 500      
email: LicensingBD@euroscreen.be

Pierre Nokin, Ph.D.
President and CEO

Vincent Lannoy, Ph.D.
Intellectual Property Manager

About Euroscreen SA
Euroscreen is a world leader in G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). The Company integrates its research expertise in this area with its patented high-throughput AequoScreen cellular assay platform to patent new GPCR targets and drug candidates.

The Company is building its own patent portfolio of GPCR targets and novel drug leads for licensing to biopharmaceutical companies, and to date has agreements with, CyBio, EvotecOAI, Galapagos Genomics, GE Healthcare, ICOS, Merck & Co, Pfizer Inc, Solvay, Syngenta and UCB. Euroscreen has also established collaborations with numerous academic centers for access to licenses to help in making available its broad menu of GPCR-based products (recombinant cell lines and membrane preparations) and services (custom screening and cloning).

Euroscreen has grown significant and strong patent positions to protect many key drug targets for licensing. Such patents include CCR5, GnRH-R strongly involved in hormonal diseases and prostate cancer, GPR7/8 involved in metabolic defects and adult-onset obesity, purinergic receptors (P2Y4, P2Y11 and P2Y13) and the non-GPCR SHIP2 for type II diabetes. Euroscreen is able to offer rights to companies which are developing therapeutic drugs that act through the above-mentioned key targets mode of action. For more information regarding the Euroscreens portfolio, please contact Dr. Vincent Lannoy.

Euroscreen is a privately held company based in Brussels, Belgium with 80 employees of which 50 are in R&D.

More information can be found at www.euroscreen.be

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