Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Mount Sinai collaborate to evaluate anti-fibrotic effects of Galectin-targeting compounds

Dec 21 2010

Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTC: PRWP), the leading developer of Galectin therapeutics to treat cancer and fibrosis, today announced it has entered into a new research collaboration with Mount Sinai School of Medicine to evaluate in pre-clinical models, the anti-fibrotic effects of several of the Company's novel, Galectin-targeting compounds.

“The area of anti-fibrotics is generating great interest based on their potential to impact chronic liver disease and we look forward to working with Pro-Pharmaceuticals”

Mount Sinai has one of the world's largest, most productive and well-respected liver disease investigation programs. In previous experiments, Pro-Pharmaceuticals' polysaccharide compounds that target Galectin receptors have been shown to reverse the formation of fibrotic tissue in diseased rat livers. The Company's GR-Series of anti-fibrotic, cirrhosis compounds have reversed liver fibrosis/cirrhosis in pre-clinical studies. The only current treatment for late stage fibrosis or cirrhosis is a liver transplant.

According to the American Liver Foundation, more than 25 million Americans are or have been afflicted with liver and biliary diseases. The disease is even more of a problem outside the U.S. because of the prevalence of chronic hepatitis B and C that often results in fibrosis, and ultimately cirrhosis, of the liver.

"Collaborating with Mount Sinai represents an exciting opportunity to partner with a premier liver research program to develop a novel method for treating liver disease," said Peter Traber, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc. "We continue to develop and expand our product candidate pipeline. "We believe our expertise in developing compounds that target Galectin receptors offers opportunities to develop new paradigms for the treatment of cancer, fibrosis and inflammatory diseases."

"The area of anti-fibrotics is generating great interest based on their potential to impact chronic liver disease and we look forward to working with Pro-Pharmaceuticals," said Dr. Scott L. Friedman, Division Director of Liver Diseases, Mount Sinai School of Medicine. "The need for an effective therapeutic solution for liver fibrosis is acute, and this innovative project would certainly be vital and could significantly advance treatment in this critical area. The efficacy and safety of Pro-Pharmaceuticals' approach appears to be unique and thus, these studies should be of the highest priorities."

Dr. Friedman's team will be testing several of the Company's galactomannans and-rhamnogalacturonans as Galectin blockers in liver anti-fibrotic therapies. Specifically Dr. Friedman will complete the in vitro and in vivo analysis of several of the Company's compounds for anti-fibrotic efficacy and mechanism of action using state of-the-art molecular methods to assess fibrosis, fibrogenic gene expression and liver function.

SOURCE Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc.