SAN DIEGO, Dec. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ —ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc.(Nasdaq: ACAD), a biopharmaceutical company utilizing innovative technology tofuel drug discovery and clinical development of novel treatments for centralnervous system disorders, today announced publication of research, in both theJournal of Medicinal Chemistry and in Biochemical Pharmacology, that reportsACADIA's discovery of novel isoform-selective retinoic acid receptor (RAR)agonists and a highly effective hit-to-lead optimization providing RARb2agonists with drug-like properties. The published compounds may serve aspharmacological tools to further explore nuclear receptor pharmacology and mayprovide a starting point for drug development efforts.
"The discovery of novel isoform-selective RAR agonists demonstrates thehigh quality and broad applicability of ACADIA's drug discovery engine," saidMark Brann, Ph.D., ACADIA's President and Chief Scientific Officer. "We willcontinue to leverage our proprietary assay technology to augment our pipelineof drug candidates to treat CNS disorders and other areas of unmet medicalneed."
The Journal of Medicinal Chemistry (vol. 48, pgs. 7517-7519) and theBiochemical Pharmacology (vol. 71, pgs. 156-162) articles describe researchconducted by ACADIA scientists that led to the discovery of novelisoform-selective RARb2 agonists. An ultra high-throughput screen of RARsubtypes was performed using ACADIA's proprietary R-SAT(R) technology.Although the initial hit did not display drug-like properties and previouslyhad been studied only in the context of liquid crystal technology, ACADIAscientists succeeded in optimizing the structure of the agonists into smallmolecules with retained potency, selectivity, and favorable drug-likeproperties. In initial pharmacological studies, these novel selectiveagonists showed cellular effects consistent with a retinoid-like mode ofaction.
About Retinoic Acid Receptor Agonists
RARs belong to the steroid family of nuclear hormone receptors. Multiplesubtypes are known and isoforms of each of the RAR subtypes have beendescribed. Drugs targeting RARs have been developed to treat a variety oftherapeutic indications such as acne, psoriasis, and cancer, but their successhas been limited due to the prevalence of acute and chronic side effectscaused by lack of selectivity. In addition, RARb selective agonists may havea potential use for treatment of CNS disorders.
About ACADIA Pharmaceuticals
ACADIA is a biopharmaceutical company utilizing innovative technology tofuel drug discovery and clinical development of novel treatments for centralnervous system disorders. ACADIA currently has four drug programs in clinicaldevelopment as well as a portfolio of preclinical and discovery assetsdirected at large unmet medical needs, including schizophrenia, Parkinson'sdisease, neuropathic pain, and glaucoma. All of the drug candidates inACADIA's product pipeline emanate from discoveries made using its proprietarydrug discovery platform. ACADIA's corporate headquarters is located in SanDiego, California and it maintains research and development operations in bothSan Diego and Malmo, Sweden.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release that are not strictly historical innature are forward-looking statements. These statements include but are notlimited to statements related to the progress and timing of ACADIA's drugdiscovery and development programs and related trials, the safety and efficacyof ACADIA's development candidates, and the potential benefits to be derivedfrom ACADIA's technology and development candidates, in each case, includingRAR agonists. These statements are only predictions based on currentinformation and expectations and involve a number of risks and uncertainties.Actual events or results may differ materially from those projected in any ofsuch statements due to various factors, including the risks and uncertaintiesinherent in drug discovery, development and commercialization, collaborationswith others, and litigation. For a discussion of these and other factors,please refer to ACADIA's annual report on Form 10-K for the year endedDecember 31, 2004 filed with the United States Securities and ExchangeCommission as well as other subsequent filings with the Securities andExchange Commission. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on theseforward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Thiscaution is made under the safe harbor provisions of the Private SecuritiesLitigation Reform Act of 1995. All forward-looking statements are qualifiedin their entirety by this cautionary statement and ACADIA undertakes noobligation to revise or update this press release to reflect events orcircumstances after the date hereof.
Contacts:
ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Lisa Barthelemy, Director, Investor Relations
Thomas H. Aasen, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
(858) 558-2871