Key Members
J.
Michael Mathis, Ph.D.
Director
Dept. of Cellular Biology and Anatomy
B. Jill Williams, Ph.D.
Associate Director
Dept. of Urology
Arrigo De Benedetti, Ph.D.
Dept. of Biochemistry
Ronald Klein, Ph.D.
Dept. of Pharmacology
Cherie-Ann Nathan, M.D.
Dept. of Otolaryngology
Kathrine Ryman, Ph.D.
Dept. of Microbiology and Immunology
Francesco Turturro, M.D.
Dept. of Medicine
Wei-Ming Duan, M.D., Ph.D.Dept.
of Cellular Biology and Anatomy
Benjamin Li, M.D.
Dept. of Surgery
Qian-Jin Zhang, Ph.D.
Dept. of Cellular Biology & Anatomy
Press Release
Louisiana State University
& Bionomics Sign Cancer Gene Therapy Agreement
July 28, 2004
ADELAIDE,
Australia, July 29, 2004 -- The Louisiana
State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport (LSUHSC-S) and Bionomics
Limited (BULLETIN BOARD: BMICY) today announced that they have finalized
an agreement for collaborative study of a Bionomics
proprietary gene (BNO69) that shows promise for treating cancer.
"The grouping of the Bionomics gene discovery platform with our delivery technology and preclinical testing expertise offers great potential for turning new therapeutic genes into clinical applications," said J. Michael Mathis, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Cellular Biology and Anatomy and Director of the LSUHSC-S Gene Therapy Center, a component of the Louisiana Gene Therapy Research Consortium, Inc. Dr. Mathis's research group has developed a gene therapy delivery system that is highly efficient against solid tumors.
Under the terms of the collaboration, Dr. Mathis's gene delivery technology will be used to deliver gene expression silencing molecules to solid tumors. These molecules have been developed as part of Bionomics' Angene(TM) platform aimed at targeting a Bionomics proprietary gene that is involved in blood vessel formation. The delivery of these molecules to solid tumors may result in the disruption of blood vessel formation and tumor growth arrest.
Bionomics will have commercialization rights over any new cancer treatments that are developed from the collaboration.
"Stopping malignant cancer growth has always been the greatest hurdle to increase survival for our patients," Dr. Mathis noted. "Treating malignancies with anti-angiogenic therapies may be particularly useful in those involving the breast, head and neck and prostate."
"This collaboration is exciting for Bionomics as it provides an additional opportunity for us to progress our proprietary angiogenesis genes and gene silencing molecules towards the clinic," said Dr. Gabriel Kremmidiotis, Director of Cancer Research at Bionomics. "We have identified over 600 genes in our Angene(TM) platform that could be used in the development of new treatments for cancer and other diseases where anti-angiogenic therapies form part of the treatment strategy. We are pleased that Dr. Mathis and the LSUHSC- S Gene Therapy Center have recognized the value that working with Bionomics and our Angene(TM) platform can bring to the development of new cancer treatments."
Dr. Deborah Rathjen, CEO and Managing Director of Bionomics, said "Angiogenesis based therapies are at the forefront of the latest approaches to cancer treatment. Earlier this year saw the FDA approval of anti-angiogenesis therapeutics for the treatment of colorectal cancer. Bionomics has strong expertise in angiogenesis, which is captured in our comprehensive Angene(TM) platform and can be used to identify new ways to approach the treatment of cancer and ultimately develop new therapeutics."
In addition to the laboratory studies, Dr. Mathis and Bionomics will collaborate on research involving cellular and animal models of cancer to generate new data and other intellectual property based on proprietary angiogenesis genes discovered by Bionomics.
About Bionomics Limited
Bionomics (BULLETIN BOARD: BMICY) is a world leader in genomics, holding patent applications at various stages of prosecution incorporating over 600 genes it has discovered and related utility in specific therapeutic and diagnostic applications. The Company is leveraging that expertise and intellectual property to generate both near term and longer-term revenues. Focusing on central nervous system disorders (particularly epilepsy) and cancer, Bionomics and its collaborative partners are developing diagnostics for the early detection of these conditions (near term revenue) and therapeutics to treat them (longer term revenue). The Company is looking to generate growth both organically and through acquisition.
Angene(TM), Bionomics' angiogenesis target and drug discovery platform, incorporates a variety of genomics tools to identify and characterise novel angiogenesis targets, utilising Bionomics' novel models of angiogenesis. Bionomics is continuing to develop the Angene(TM) platform and leveraging its unique attributes for the discovery of novel and more effective drugs for the treatment of cancer.
For more information
about Bionomics, visit http://www.bionomics.com.au/
About Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport
The Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center is a component of the LSU system that serves teaching, research, and health-care functions state-wide through six professional schools. Since its organization in 1966, the LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport has become the premier center for biomedical education and research in the northern part of the State. The present campus, which was completed in 1975, consists of the Louisiana State University Hospital, the Womens and Children Clinic, the School of Medicine, the Feist-Weiller Biomedical Research Institute, the School of Allied Health Professions and the School of Graduate Studies. The Graduate School faculty is primarily comprised of members of the basic science Dept.s that offer doctoral training programs, including the Dept.s of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Microbiology and Immunology, Molecular and Cellular Physiology.
For more information
about LSUHSC-S, visit http://www.sh.lsuhsc.edu/
About the Louisiana Gene Therapy Research Consortium
The Louisiana Gene Therapy Research Consortium is a partnership among Louisiana's public and private Health Sciences Centers including: Louisiana State University Health Sciences Centers in New Orleans and Shreveport and Tulane University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. The Consortium began operations in 2000 when the State committed more than $50 million to its operation. The funds are used to support recruitment of leading researchers in the cell and gene therapy field, establish core technology labs at the sites of member institutions and design, build and operate a cGMP clinical manufacturing facility for producing gene and cell therapies for human clinical trials.
For more information about the Louisiana Gene Therapy Research Consortium, visit http://www.lacancerresearch.org/
About angiogenesis
Tumours and normal tissues require oxygen and nutrients for their survival and are therefore located close to blood vessels. In order for tumours to increase in size, they must be able to recruit new blood vessels by a process known as angiogenesis. This process is regulated by a balance between pro- and anti-angiogenic molecules, which when disrupted, contributes to cancer growth and metastasis. In addition to its involvement in cancer, angiogenesis is a critical process involved in chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and serious eye diseases, in particular macular degeneration. Industry estimates suggest that diseases that may be treated by angiogenesis based therapies encompass 20 percent of the US$322 billion global pharmaceuticals market.
CONTACT: Dr. Deborah Rathjen, CEO & Managing Director, BionomicsLimited, +61-8-8354-6101; or Dr. Michael Mathis, Director, Gene Therapy Center LSUHSC-Shreveport, +001-318-675-4327
Web sites:
http://www.sh.lsuhsc.edu/gene_therapy
http://www.lacancerresearch.org/
http://www.bionomics.com.au/
Ticker Symbol: (OTC:BMICY),(OTC:BMICY)
