SEATTLE, WA—Sound Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (SPI) announced that its patent “Stimulation of cellular differentiation and regeneration in the inner ear” has received a notice of allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
SPI is developing antisense oligonucleotides, RNAi duplexes, and expressed shRNA modalities to antagonize p27Kip1 at the mRNA level. Normally, p27Kip1 functions at the level of the nucleus by binding and thus inhibiting certain proliferation inducing Cyclin/CDK complexes.
Recent publications from researchers at both the House Ear Institute in Los Angeles (White et al., Nature 2006) and the Kresge Hearing Research Institute in Michigan (Kanzaki et al., Hearing Research 2006) continue to validate the importance of p27Kip1 in proliferative regeneration of the cochlea as previously described (Lowenheim et al., PNAS 1999).
“Sound Pharmaceuticals is developing a unique approach towards cellular regeneration in the cochlea by focusing on cell cycle control. This allows new cell production to occur locally with reduced potential for side effects” says Jonathan Kil, MD, President & CEO. This patent protected methodology will enter pre-clinical toxicology in the next year.
Sound Pharmaceuticals, is a drug development company focused on developing drugs to treat hearing loss and brain injury. For more information please visit http://www.soundpharmaceuticals.com
CONTACT: Dr. Jonathan Kil, President & CEO, Sound Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 4010 Stone Way N Suite 120, Seattle WA 98103, jkil@soundpharmaceuticals.com, 206-634-2559.
