Medindia LOGIN REGISTER
Medindia
Advertisement

Radius Selects First Preclinical Candidate From SARM Discovery Program for the Treatment of Muscle Loss and Other Musculoskeletal Conditions

Monday, June 9, 2008 General News
Advertisement
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 9 Radius Health ("Radius")announced today that the company has selected the first lead candidate,RAD140, from its internal nonsteroidal selective androgen receptor modulator("SARM") discovery program, for full preclinical development as a potentialtherapy for the treatment of age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia) and othermusculoskeletal conditions such as osteoporosis. Radius selected RAD140 from aseries of promising SARMs after it demonstrated exceptional selectivity foranabolic activity in well-validated in vivo models. Radius expects to completeformal toxicology studies that will allow the company to commence humanclinical trials for RAD140 in the first half of 2009.
Advertisement

"We are highly encouraged by data on RAD140 from our in vivo models, whichdemonstrate RAD140's strong potential to build new bone and muscle, withsignificant selectivity over prostate and other non-target tissues, excellentoral availability, and a promising safety profile," said Chris Miller, PhD,Vice President of Chemistry of Radius.
Advertisement

"The selection of RAD140 for pre-IND development is a significantmilestone for Radius as it represents the first novel proprietary compound toemerge from the company's internal discovery program," said C. Richard Lyttle,PhD, President and CEO of Radius. "The Radius team has been extremelyproductive in advancing this first lead SARM candidate, and I am confident inour ability to complete preclinical studies and to initiate expected clinicaltrials in 2009."

About SARMs

Selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) are a novel class ofandrogen receptor ligands that bind to and selectively activate androgenreceptors to promote or inhibit specific androgen action in different tissues.SARMs have the potential to substantially expand the clinical benefits ofandrogens, including testosterone, on muscle and bone while avoiding theunwanted side-effects, which include stimulation of the prostate. SARMsprovide the opportunity to design tissue-selective, orally delivered anabolictherapies for bone loss and/or muscle wasting caused by aging, burns andtrauma, cancer, chronic kidney disease, end-stage renal disease, chronicobstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and other diseases.

About Sarcopenia

About 17% of men and 24% of women under the age of 70 suffer fromage-related muscle wasting, or sarcopenia. The degenerative loss of skeletalmuscle mass and strength contributes to frailty, immobility, and the loss ofindependence in older adults, with prevalence rising to more than 50% in menand women over 80 years of age. An estimated nine million Americans over theage of 65 suffer from sarcopenia, and there are currently no FDA-approvedtreatment options available. This deterioration of skeletal strength can alsoexacerbate other age-related conditions such as osteoarthritis andosteoporosis. Additional chronic diseases that involve loss of muscle strengthwith a significant impact on quality of life include cancer cachexia, chronicobstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and chronic renal disease.

ABOUT RADIUS (www.radiuspharm.com)

Radius is a leading company in the discovery and development of a newgeneration of drug therapies for osteoporosis and women's health. Radius hasraised $91.5 million in private equity financing since its establishment in2003 and is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.Contact: Nick Harvey Chief Financial Officer (617) 551-4704

SOURCE Radius Health
Sponsored Post and Backlink Submission


Latest Press Release on General News

This site uses cookies to deliver our services.By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Cookie Policy, Privacy Policy, and our Terms of Use  Ok, Got it. Close