Compounds
From Pharmos’ New Cannabis-like Platform Technology Selectively
Bind to CB2 Receptors
Iselin
NJ, February 25, 2002 – Dr.
Gad Riesenfeld, President and COO of Pharmos Corporation
(Nasdaq: PARS and Nasdaq Europe: PHRM), presented at the
BIO CEO & Investor Conference in New York last week
and described progress by the Company in developing a
new class of synthetic cannabis-mimetic (“cannabinoid”)
compounds that specifically bind to cannabinoid-2 (CB2)
receptors that are expressed by immune and inflammatory
cells. These “bicyclic” compounds lack the unwanted psychological
and hypotensive effects of cannabis while maintaining
other pharmacological characteristics of this family of
compounds. Pharmos is investigating bicyclic dextrocannabinoid
compounds as anti-inflammatory modulators of the immune
system, potentially effective in autoimmune and neurological
diseases. The development of the Company’s proprietary
bicyclic dextrocannabinoid library closely follows and
complements Pharmos’ successful “tricyclic” dextrocannabinoid
platform. Progress on the pivotal Phase III trial of the
tricyclic compound dexanabinol and other R&D programs
was also provided during the presentation.
Dr.
George Fink, Vice President of Research, commented, “The
use of natural cannabinoids for medical/medicinal purposes
have significant medical and regulatory limitations because
they bind to the CB1 receptors that are located mainly
in the nervous system, and thereby cause unwanted psychotropic
and other side effects. Free of these limitations, our
CB2-selective compounds offer novel and potentially effective
therapeutic approaches to a wide range of debilitating
autoimmune disorders as well as neurological diseases.”
With
the aid of computational and combinatorial chemistry,
Pharmos has designed and synthesized a library of compounds
that bind with high affinity and selectivity to the CB2
receptors. This selective binding is complemented by reduced
affinity for the CB1 receptor that is responsible for
triggering the unwanted effects of natural cannabis derivatives,
primarily hypotension and psychomimetic effects. Because
CB2 receptors are mainly expressed on cells of the immune
system, the CB2 binding affinity of Pharmos’ bicyclic
compounds offers significant therapeutic potential in
the treatment of immune and inflammatory disorders, including
diseases of the central and peripheral nervous systems.
Pharmos’ CB2 agonists proved highly effective in animal
models of autoimmune disorders, including experimental
allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE), the standard model for
multiple sclerosis, and also demonstrated significant
effectiveness as analgesics for noxious and neuropathic
pain.
Pharmos
Corporation discovers, develops and commercializes novel
therapeutics to treat a range of neurological disorders
associated with inflammatory processes, such as traumatic
brain injury, stroke, neuropathic pain, Parkinson's disease
and other CNS and peripheral neuro-inflammatory indications.
Statements
made in this press release related to operational expectations
of the Company and to the development and commercialization
of the Company’s pipeline products are forward-looking
and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of
the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements
involve risks and uncertainties, which may cause results
to differ materially from those set forth in these statements.
Additional economic, competitive, governmental, technological,
marketing and other factors identified in Pharmos’ filings
with the Securities and Exchange Commission could affect
such results.
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