Description:
Princeton Invention #
99-1608
Researchers in
the Chemistry Department at Princeton University have developed novel
metalloporphyrins that offer new potential pharmaceuticals for the treatment of
diseases such as diabetes, ischemia-reperfusion injury, stroke, inflammation,
neurodegeneration, and sepsis in which active oxygen (ROS) and active nitrogen
(RNS) species are thought to be involved in pathogenesis. These compounds have
also shown to have protective effects against doxorubicin-induced cardiac
dysfunction. The lead compound FP15 and series of analogs provide the
opportunity for low dose, orally active therapeutics for diseases in areas of
large unmet needs.
Successful drug
candidates need to have a combination of characteristics such as high activity,
low toxicity, bioavailability, stability and ease of synthesis and
characterization. The approach used by Princeton researchers allows for short,
efficient synthesis of highly active compounds that can be targeted to specific
tissue and flexibly adapted to numerous applications. With over two decades
of experience in the chemical synthesis and characterization of such compounds,
the novelty of these agents lies in the particular combination of structural
parts that retain activity while building in the other desired synthetic,
characterization, biological and pharmacokinetic
attributes.
Published studies using the lead
compound, FP15 have demonstrated efficacy in a number of animal models (as cited
below). Additionally orally administered FP15 is effective in correcting a
number of pathological conditions associated with oxidative stress, including
early diabetic neuropathy, in much lower doses than typical superoxide dismutase
mimetics which strongly suggests the major contribution of peroxynitrite to
oxidative/nitrosative stress-induced cytotoxic effects in diabetic peripheral
nerve.
Princeton is currently seeking
industrial collaborators to commercialize this technology. Patent protection is
pending.
For more information on Princeton
University Invention # 99-1608, please contact:
Laurie Tzodikov
Office of Technology Licensing and Intellectual Property
Princeton University
4 New South Building
Princeton, NJ 08544-0036
(609) 258-7256
(609) 258-1159 fax
tzodikov@princeton.edu