Press Releases
National Neurovision Research Institute (NNRI) and Resolvyx Pharmaceuticals Collaborate to Assess Resolvins to Treat Degenerative Eye Diseases
NNRI to Fully Fund Research for Inherited Retinal Diseases and Dry AMD
OWINGS MILLS, MD AND BEDFORD, MA – November 20, 2008 -- National Neurovision Research Institute (NNRI), a research support organization for the Foundation Fighting Blindness and the leading non-government funding source for inherited orphan retinal degeneration research, and Resolvyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the leading resolvin therapeutics company, today announced a research collaboration whereby NNRI will fully fund preclinical studies to evaluate the potential of novel resolvin therapeutics for eye diseases of the retina that lack current treatments, specifically genetic retinal degenerative diseases and dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Under the agreement, NNRI will fully fund preclinical studies and will also provide access to specialized research facilities and ocular research experts to conduct studies to evaluate the effectiveness of resolvins for specific eye diseases. Resolvyx will provide the company’s proprietary resolvin therapeutics, including RX-10001, RX-10008, and RX-20001, for the research studies. Resolvyx will retain all rights to develop and commercialize these compounds and any discoveries that result from the collaboration.
"Resolvins offer an exciting new approach to effectively treat people affected by retinal degenerative diseases," said Steve Rose, Ph.D., Chief Research Officer, Foundation Fighting Blindness. "These diseases are among the most difficult to treat and represent a significant unmet medical need. Resolvins have the potential to change the lives of patients affected by these devastating conditions which are a major cause of vision loss."
"We are extremely encouraged by the potential for resolvins to treat a number of serious eye diseases, as we have demonstrated that resolvins have a unique ability to naturally inhibit key inflammatory processes, preserve the integrity of eye tissue and promote eye tissue repair," said Per Gjorstrup, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer of Resolvyx Pharmaceuticals. "We look forward to working with NNRI to continue to advance our promising ocular compounds to address serious eye diseases for which there are currently no effective treatment options."
About Retinal Degenerative Diseases, including AMD
There are a number of inherited retinal degenerative diseases that threaten the vision of as many as 9.5 million of Americans. These diseases include, most prevalently, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and retinitis pigmentosa (RP).
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a retinal degenerative disease that causes a progressive loss of central vision. AMD is the most common cause of vision loss in individuals over 55. An estimated 8 to 10 million people in the U.S. either have AMD or are at substantial risk of developing it, with 1.7 million suffering from advanced stage AMD.
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) refers to a group of inherited diseases causing retinal degeneration. The cell-rich retina lines the back inside wall of the eye. It is responsible for capturing images from the visual field. People with RP experience a gradual decline in their vision because photoreceptor cells (rods and cones) die.
Forms of RP and other inherited orphan retinal diseases include Usher syndrome, Stargardt’s disease, Leber’s congenital amaurosis, rod-cone disease, Bardet-Biedl syndrome, Choroideremia, and Retinoschisis, among others.
About Resolvins
Resolvins are a recently discovered family of naturally-occurring, small molecule lipid mediators that can be targeted to treat a wide range of diseases. In particular, resolvins act to protect healthy tissue during an immuno-inflammatory response to infection, injury or other environmental challenge, and then act to resolve inflammation and promote healing after the insult has passed. Resolvins are shown to be highly potent and efficacious in pre-clinical models of asthma, atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, dry eye and retinal disease, among others.
Resolvins are potential drug candidates to treat a broad range of acute and chronic diseases caused by a failure to resolve the inflammatory response and restore immune homeostasis. Such diseases include auto-immune diseases (like Crohn’s disease, psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis), allergic diseases (like asthma) and chronic inflammatory diseases (like atherosclerosis, degenerative retinal diseases, chronic dry eye and Alzheimer’s disease). Resolvins offer an entirely novel biological approach to treating significant inflammatory diseases, with a decreased potential for immuno-suppression.
About National Neurovision Research Institute (NNRI)
NNRI is a recently-established non-profit support organization of the Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB), the leading non-government funding source for inherited orphan retinal degeneration research. The mission of the NNRI is to accelerate the translation of laboratory based research into clinical trials for treatments and cures of retinal degenerative diseases. It is a medical research institute that will obtain support from government agencies, corporations and private foundations. It may also receive royalties or licensing fees from the drug discovery processes and commercialization of new therapies.
The FFB is a non-profit health foundation that has been incorporated since 1971. Over the years FFB has invested over $140 million to provide seed money for scientific research of diseases of the retina causing blindness. To learn more, visit www.FightBlindness.org.
About Resolvyx Pharmaceuticals
Resolvyx Pharmaceuticals is a privately-held biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery, development and commercialization of resolvins, a novel class of therapies to treat inflammatory diseases and their complications. Resolvyx's drug R&D programs are focused on characterizing and developing resolvin-based compounds. With its experienced management team, world-class scientists and leading investors, Resolvyx is well-positioned to capitalize on its extensive portfolio of more than 55 patents and applications.
The company's headquarters are in Bedford, Massachusetts. For additional information, please visit http://www.resolvyx.com.