VBS Pharmaceuticals News
March 26, 2008 – Vascular BioSciences Awarded STTR Matching Grant from the State of North Carolina
Chicago, Illinois, March 28, 2008 – Vascular BioSciences announced today that Abraham Rothman, M.D., will present experimental data on the use of Vascular BioSciencesí endoarterial biopsy catheter in models of pulmonary hypertension, lung transplant rejection, and congenital heart disease at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions annual scientific sessions at this yearís American College of Cardiology Annual Innovation in Intervention Meeting. Dr. Rothmanís presentation will be given from 3:00 to 4:00 pm at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois on March 30, 2008.
Dr. Rothman, a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Nevada School of Medicine, and a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, will present new techniques to assess pulmonary vascular gene expression, identify novel applications for existing drugs and describe new methods to deliver individualized pharmacogenomics for vascular diseases using endoarterial biopsy.
About Vascular BioSciences
Vascular BioSciences, a diversified biomedical company based in Research Triangle, North Carolina, provides solutions for vascular–based diseases in order to enhance and prolong human life.
Vascular BioSciences makes interventional catheters to obtain endoarterial biopsies, provides diagnostic services, and advances therapies in order to improve outcomes for vascular–based disease patients. More information is available at www.vascularbiosciences.com.
Durham, North Carolina, March 26, 2008 – Vascular BioSciences announced today it has been awarded a $100,000 STTR matching grant under the One North Carolina SBIR/STTR Matching Funds Program. The One North Carolina SBIR/STTR Matching Grant matches a recently awarded NIH Phase 1 STTR grant “Targeting Pulmonary Hypertension with R-Ras.”
David Mann, CEO of Vascular BioSciences commented, “This matching grant from the State of North Carolina will enable our company to expand our innovative product pipeline and to accelerate our commercialization efforts. I’d like to especially acknowledge the assistance and support of Governor Mike Easley, Congressman David Price, State Senator Floyd McKissick, Jr., State Representative Henry Michaux, Jr., the North Carolina Office of Science and Technology, and the North Carolina Department of Commerce.”
About Vascular BioSciences
Vascular BioSciences, a diversified biomedical company based in Research Triangle, North Carolina, provides solutions for vascular–based diseases in order to enhance and prolong human life.
Vascular BioSciences makes interventional catheters to obtain endoarterial biopsies, provides diagnostic services, and advances therapies in order to improve outcomes for vascular–based disease patients. More information is available at www.vascularbiosciences.com.
San Diego, Calif., October 12, 2007 – Vascular BioSciences announced today that Dr. Roy Williams, Ph.D., will join the company as a Special Consultant for Bioinformatics. Dr. Williams brings extensive expertise in bioinformatics and microarray analysis to the companyís Molecular Diagnostics division.
Dr. Roy Williams, Ph.D., an experienced research scientist at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research, is an internationally recognized pioneer in genomics, microarray technology, and the computer based analysis of complex genome-wide datasets. Prior to joining the Burnham Institute, Dr. Williams was an important member of the Small Molecule Drug Discovery Group at Diversa Corp in San Diego, CA. Dr. Williams, who received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom, performed ground-breaking gene expression post-doctoral research at Stanford University, the University of Chicago, and the Pasteur Institute in Paris, France.
David Mann, CEO and Chairman of Vascular BioSciences, commented, “Dr. Williams is a brilliant scientist and a pleasure to work with. He provides the company with the necessary expertise to handle the large amounts of data generated in our analysis of endoarterial biopsy samples. Roy’s valuable skill set will greatly accelerate our efforts to provide personalized medicine to patients based on the molecular analysis of endoarterial biopsies. Roy will also be invaluable to our drug discovery efforts at VBS Pharmaceuticals.”
About Vascular BioSciences & VBS Pharmaceuticals
Vascular BioSciences, a diversified biomedical company based in San Diego, California, provides solutions for vascular-based diseases in order to enhance and prolong human life.
Vascular BioSciences makes interventional catheters to obtain endoarterial biopsies, provides diagnostic services, and advances therapies in order to improve outcomes for vascular-based disease patients.
A newly formed majority-owned subsidiary, VBS Pharmaceuticals, has been created to provide a framework for Vascular Biosciences to engage in drug discovery and pharmaceutical development targeting vascular-based diseases.
For more information please visit: www.vbspharma.com.
San Diego, Calif., February 28, 2007 – Vascular BioSciences announced today that it has secured a worldwide exclusive license to intellectual property from Burnham Institute for Medical Research relating to work done by Erkki Ruoslahti MD, Ph.D., and Masanobu Komatsu, Ph.D. on their discovery of the role of the intracellular protein R-Ras in neointimal hyperplasia, angiogenesis and vascular proliferation. R-Ras is a small GTPase of the Ras family that regulates cell survival and integrin activity. Drs. Komatsu and Ruoslahti found that R-Ras exerts a strong inhibitory effect on mitotic and invasive activities of activated endothelial cells and vascular smooth muscle cells, and promotes quiescence of these cells.
The discovery of this unexpected role for R-Ras in blood vessel homeostasis will enable Vascular BioSciences to target R-Ras signaling for therapeutic intervention in a wide range of disorders characterized by pathological vascular remodeling, vascular cell proliferation and endothelial activation. Such diseases include atherosclerosis, sepsis, systemic and pulmonary hypertension, diabetic vasculopathies, acute respiratory distress syndrome, post-angioplasty restenosis, collagen vascular diseases and other conditions. The ability of R-Ras to promote vascular quiescence may also be useful in anti-angiogenesis therapies for cancer and the engineering of mature blood vessels.
David Mann, CEO and Chairman of Vascular BioSciences commented, “This license agreement with the Burnham Institute for Medical Research represents an extremely important expansion to our existing intellectual property portfolio and product pipeline. In addition to securing this valuable worldwide exclusive license, we gain the ability to work closely with internationally renowned scientists like Drs. Komatsu and Ruoslahti to develop novel innovative treatments for vascular diseases.”
Dr. Erkki Ruoslahti, Distinguished Professor and former President of Burnham Institute for Medical Research commented, “I believe that R-Ras opens up some entirely new possibilities for the treatment of vascular diseases and look forward to working with Vascular BioSciences on further development of this technology.”
About Vascular BioSciences & VBS Pharmaceuticals
Vascular BioSciences, a diversified biomedical company based in San Diego, California, provides solutions for vascular-based diseases in order to enhance and prolong human life.
Vascular BioSciences makes interventional catheters to obtain endoarterial biopsies, provides diagnostic services, and advances therapies in order to improve outcomes for vascular-based disease patients.
A newly formed majority-owned subsidiary, VBS Pharmaceuticals, has been created to provide a framework for Vascular Biosciences to engage in drug discovery and pharmaceutical development targeting vascular-based diseases.
About Burnham Institute for Medical Research.
Burnham Institute for Medical Research conducts world-class collaborative research dedicated to finding cures for human disease, improving quality of life, and thus creating a legacy for its employees, partners, donors, and community. The La Jolla, CA campus was established as a nonprofit public benefit corporation in 1976 and is now home to three major centers: the National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center, the Del E. Webb Center for Neurosciences and Aging, and the Infectious and Inflammatory Disease Center. Burnham today employs over 750 people and ranks consistently among the world’s top 20 research institutes. In 2006, Burnham established a presence at the University of California, Santa Barbara, led by Dr. Erkki Ruoslahti, Distinguished Professor. Burnham is also establishing a campus at Lake Nona in Orlando, Florida that will focus on diabetes and obesity research and expand the Institute’s drug discovery capabilities. For additional information about Burnham and to learn about ways to support its research, visit www.burnham.org.
San Diego, Calif., April 20, 2005 – Vascular BioSciences (www.vascularbiosciences.com) announced today that Erkki Ruoslahti, M.D., Ph.D., a member of Vascular BioSciences' (www.vascularbiosciences.com) Advisory Board, and co-founder of VBS Pharmaceuticals, has been awarded the 2005 Japan Prize in the category of cell biology. Dr. Ruoslahti shares the 50 million yen prize with Dr. Masatoshi Takeichi, Director of RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology in Kobe, Japan.
Dr. Ruoslahti was awarded the prize for “Fundamental contributions in elucidating the molecular mechanisms of cell adhesion.” Dr. Ruoslahti is being recognized for his pioneering contributions to the cell adhesion field, which include the discovery and molecular definition of the RGD peptide that interacts with integrin receptor sites during cellular attachment.
The Japan Prize is awarded annually in Tokyo in the presence of the Emperor and Empress of Japan to “people from all parts of the world whose original and outstanding achievements in science and technology are recognized as having advanced the frontiers of knowledge and served the cause of peace and prosperity for mankind.”
“We are delighted to see Erkki receive some of the recognition he deserves,” said David Mann, CEO and Chairman of Vascular BioSciences and VBS Pharmaceuticals. “Dr. Ruoslahti's original approach to scientific research has produced major advances in cell adhesion, vascular targeting peptide technology, drug discovery, nanotechnology, and tumor biology that merit considerable praise. We are proud to work with Dr. Ruoslahti in our collaborations to improve human health.”
For more on the Japan Prize: www.japanprize.jp
