REDWOOD CITY, CA, USA I December 3, 2014 I Codexis, Inc. (CDXS), a leading developer of biocatalysts for the pharmaceutical and fine chemical industries, today announced that it has developed a novel enzyme therapeutic product candidate for the potential treatment of phenylketonuria (PKU) via oral administration. PKU is an inherited metabolic disorder in which the enzyme that converts the essential amino acid phenylalanine into tyrosine is deficient. As a result, phenylalanine accumulates in high levels in the brain causing serious neurological problems, including intellectual disability, seizures and cognitive and behavioral problems. Phenylalanine is found in many foods, including meat, dairy products, fish, poultry and many fruits and vegetables.
Codexis has conducted studies in a PKU animal model that demonstrate proof of concept for Codexis’ therapeutic enzyme product candidate. In these studies, Codexis’ enzyme therapeutic candidate was introduced into the stomach of the animal resulting in decreased blood phenylalanine levels. Codexis has filed patent applications covering the composition of matter for its therapeutic enzymes and the use of these enzymes as a treatment for PKU.
Codexis is seeking partners for its PKU program to advance its development. Codexis expects to begin preclinical studies for its enzyme therapeutic candidate in 2015.
Codexis will briefly discuss its PKU program at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 4, 2014 at the LD Micro Main Event VII Conference, being held at The Luxe Hotel in Los Angeles, California. This presentation will be webcast at http://wsw.com/webcast/ldmicro7/cdxs.
About Phenylketonuria
Phenylketonuria, or PKU, is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder caused by a mutation in the gene that encodes for the hepatic enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH), making the enzyme deficient or nonfunctional. PAH is necessary to convert the essential amino acid phenylalanine into the amino acid tyrosine. Phenylalanine is found in many foods, including meat, dairy products, fish, poultry and many fruits and vegetables. Without functional PAH, high levels of phenylalanine accumulate in the body and cause serious neurological complications, including intellectual disability, seizures, mental illness, tremors and cognitive and behavioral problems. To avoid high levels of phenylalanine in their blood, individuals with PKU must follow a strict, life-long diet that is low in phenylalanine and supplement their diet with a synthetic phenylalanine-free formula to provide them with sufficient nutrients. Maintaining a strict, life-long diet can be challenging for individuals with PKU. There are an estimated 50,000 people with PKU in the developed world. PKU is considered a rare disease in the United States and the European Union. The United States and most other developed countries test for PKU as part of newborn screening programs.
About CodeEvolver (R) Protein Engineering Platform Technology
CodeEvolver is Codexis’ proprietary protein engineering platform, which enables rapid development of custom-designed enzymes that are highly optimized for efficient manufacturing processes. The CodeEvolver platform is comprised of proprietary methods for the optimization of proteins through the design and generation of diverse genetic libraries, automated screening techniques, algorithms for the interpretation of screening data and predictive modeling. The Codexis CodeEvolver platform technology is covered by more than 180 issued patents and pending patent applications worldwide.
About Codexis, Inc.
Codexis, Inc. is a leading developer of biocatalysts for pharmaceutical and fine chemical production. Codexis’ proven technology enables scale-up and implementation of biocatalytic solutions to meet customer needs for rapid, cost-effective and sustainable process development — from research to manufacturing. For more information, see www.codexis.com.
SOURCE: Codexis
Post Views: 156
REDWOOD CITY, CA, USA I December 3, 2014 I Codexis, Inc. (CDXS), a leading developer of biocatalysts for the pharmaceutical and fine chemical industries, today announced that it has developed a novel enzyme therapeutic product candidate for the potential treatment of phenylketonuria (PKU) via oral administration. PKU is an inherited metabolic disorder in which the enzyme that converts the essential amino acid phenylalanine into tyrosine is deficient. As a result, phenylalanine accumulates in high levels in the brain causing serious neurological problems, including intellectual disability, seizures and cognitive and behavioral problems. Phenylalanine is found in many foods, including meat, dairy products, fish, poultry and many fruits and vegetables.
Codexis has conducted studies in a PKU animal model that demonstrate proof of concept for Codexis’ therapeutic enzyme product candidate. In these studies, Codexis’ enzyme therapeutic candidate was introduced into the stomach of the animal resulting in decreased blood phenylalanine levels. Codexis has filed patent applications covering the composition of matter for its therapeutic enzymes and the use of these enzymes as a treatment for PKU.
Codexis is seeking partners for its PKU program to advance its development. Codexis expects to begin preclinical studies for its enzyme therapeutic candidate in 2015.
Codexis will briefly discuss its PKU program at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 4, 2014 at the LD Micro Main Event VII Conference, being held at The Luxe Hotel in Los Angeles, California. This presentation will be webcast at http://wsw.com/webcast/ldmicro7/cdxs.
About Phenylketonuria
Phenylketonuria, or PKU, is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder caused by a mutation in the gene that encodes for the hepatic enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH), making the enzyme deficient or nonfunctional. PAH is necessary to convert the essential amino acid phenylalanine into the amino acid tyrosine. Phenylalanine is found in many foods, including meat, dairy products, fish, poultry and many fruits and vegetables. Without functional PAH, high levels of phenylalanine accumulate in the body and cause serious neurological complications, including intellectual disability, seizures, mental illness, tremors and cognitive and behavioral problems. To avoid high levels of phenylalanine in their blood, individuals with PKU must follow a strict, life-long diet that is low in phenylalanine and supplement their diet with a synthetic phenylalanine-free formula to provide them with sufficient nutrients. Maintaining a strict, life-long diet can be challenging for individuals with PKU. There are an estimated 50,000 people with PKU in the developed world. PKU is considered a rare disease in the United States and the European Union. The United States and most other developed countries test for PKU as part of newborn screening programs.
About CodeEvolver (R) Protein Engineering Platform Technology
CodeEvolver is Codexis’ proprietary protein engineering platform, which enables rapid development of custom-designed enzymes that are highly optimized for efficient manufacturing processes. The CodeEvolver platform is comprised of proprietary methods for the optimization of proteins through the design and generation of diverse genetic libraries, automated screening techniques, algorithms for the interpretation of screening data and predictive modeling. The Codexis CodeEvolver platform technology is covered by more than 180 issued patents and pending patent applications worldwide.
About Codexis, Inc.
Codexis, Inc. is a leading developer of biocatalysts for pharmaceutical and fine chemical production. Codexis’ proven technology enables scale-up and implementation of biocatalytic solutions to meet customer needs for rapid, cost-effective and sustainable process development — from research to manufacturing. For more information, see www.codexis.com.
SOURCE: Codexis
Post Views: 156
