$7M Viral Proteomics Fight Virus-Induced Diseases

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Monday April 8, 11:00 am Eastern Time Press Release SOURCE: Affinium Pharmaceuticals Affinium(TM) Pharmaceuticals Announces a US $7M Viral Proteomics Program to Prioritize Druggable Targets to Fight Virus-Induced Disease TORONTO, April 8 /CNW/ - Affinium Pharmaceuticals, a leader in structure guided drug discovery, today announced that Genome Canada and the Ontario Genomics Institute have awarded Affinium a grant for a novel program in viral proteomics. Knowledge about virus and host protein interactions and structural interrogation of key targets will lead to opportunities for therapeutic intervention against disease causative viruses for which no adequate treatments currently exist. Affinium's program will systematically study the proteomics of viruses and their host cell interactions. Viral proteins isolated from different pathogenic viruses will be interrogated to determine both their host cell protein partners and their three dimensional structure for future drug design. "We are delighted that Genome Canada and the Ontario Genomics Institute have chosen to support our innovative program. Using Affinium's proprietary, automated systems for functional, chemical, and structural proteomics, we hope to create the opportunity to develop new medicines for these important diseases. We will also benefit from drawing on our academic collaborators to investigate the intricate human biology of these discoveries in cellular and animal systems. This will lead to an effective and efficient research network for advancing drug discovery to combat common diseases such as hepatitis, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, all known to be associated with viral infections," said Dr. Christian Burks, Affinium's Chief Scientific Officer. Affinium's viral proteomics program will leverage the world-class capabilities of the Ontario Genomics Institute's Core Proteomics Facility for Mass Spectrometry and a team of researchers with a rich history in viral pathogenesis, cell and animal biology, and structural biology. Renowned virologists, Drs. Grant McFadden, Lori Frappier, and James Smiley, will provide advice on the cellular aspects of the program. The three scientific founders of Affinium Pharmaceuticals, Drs. Cheryl Arrowsmith, Al Edwards, and Jack Greenblatt will provide scientific guidance in the areas of protein- protein interactions and structural biology. Affinium Pharmaceuticals is a structure guided drug discovery company. The Company's proprietary, integrated drug discovery process is designed for rapid advancement of small molecule programs from gene to clinic. Affinium is actively engaged in its own internal small molecule programs. The Company's processes enable high throughput target production, determination of target function/structure, and determination of target structure with bound hits and leads to accelerate chemistry for new medicines. The Company also integrates the premier discovery capabilities of Aurora Biosciences to advance Affinium's internal drug discovery efforts. Affinium's processes feature mass spectrometry, NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography technologies from Bruker Daltonics (Nasdaq: BDAL - news), Bruker BioSpin and Bruker AXS (Nasdaq: BAXS - news), respectively. The Company's investors include the Lombard Odier Immunology Fund, Genesys Capital Partners Inc., and HBM BioVentures (Henri B. Meier, Chairman), as well as industrial partners Aurora Biosciences and the Bruker Companies. The Company's Founders, Drs. Aled Edwards, Cheryl Arrowsmith and Jack Greenblatt, are world experts in determination of target function and structure and remain actively involved in the Company. The Company has raised US $33 million since its inception in 2000. Affinium and Affinium Pharmaceuticals are trademark names of the Company. For further information Dr. Joanne E. Harack, T: (416) 645-6600, FAX: (416) 598-1262, [email protected],www.afnm.com