fratboy72
16 years ago
Leonard P. Guarente, a Founder of the Sirtuin Field, Signs Exclusive Consulting Agreement with Sirtris Pharmaceuticals
Tuesday February 5, 8:00 am ET
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRT - News), a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing small molecule drugs to treat diseases of aging such as Type 2 Diabetes, announced today that Leonard P. Guarente, PhD, Novartis Professor of Biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has signed a new, exclusive consulting agreement with Sirtris Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Guarente first joined Sirtris’ Scientific Advisory Board as Co-Chair in November 2007.
“We are delighted to have deepened our relationship with Professor Guarente through this new agreement,” says Christoph Westphal, MD, PhD, Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chair of Sirtris Pharmaceuticals. “Professor Guarente, a recognized founder of the sirtuin field and Co-Chair of our Scientific Advisory Board, provides critical guidance to our Scientific Advisory Board and his ideas and research shape our therapeutic efforts.”
“I am proud to serve as Co-Chair of Sirtris’ Scientific Advisory Board, and to be working with Sirtris alone in all sirtuin related fields,” says Leonard P. Guarente, PhD, the Novartis Professor of Biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “Sirtris has built a Scientific Advisory Board with every key opinion leader in the sirtuin field, and is well-positioned to develop therapeutics that target this family of genes for the treatment of diseases of aging.”
“Lenny has made and is making defining contributions to the sirtuin field,” says David Sinclair, PhD, Co-Founder of Sirtris and Associate Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School. “Through our ongoing collaborations, we and our Scientific Advisory Board members hope to further define the therapeutic avenues in this field,” added Sinclair, who also Co-Chairs Sirtris’ Scientific Advisory Board.
Sirtris recently announced positive Phase 1b clinical trial results with drug candidate SRT501, a proprietary formulation of resveratrol, in patients with Type 2 Diabetes. SRT501, which targets the SIRT1 enzyme, was found to be safe and well-tolerated, and significantly lowered glucose at the two-hour time point in an oral glucose tolerance test conducted as part of the 28 day Phase 1b trial of patients with Type 2 Diabetes who were naïve to treatment. Sirtris’ new chemical entities (NCEs) activate SIRT1 and are chemically distinct from and 1000 times more potent, in vitro, than resveratrol. The NCEs have been shown to lower glucose and improve insulin sensitivity in predictive preclinical models of Type 2 Diabetes. SIRT1 activators have the potential to be frontline therapy for Type 2 Diabetes.
About Sirtris Pharmaceuticals
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing proprietary, orally available, small molecule drugs with the potential to treat diseases associated with aging, including metabolic diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes. Our drug candidates are designed to mimic certain beneficial health effects of calorie restriction, without requiring a change in eating habits, by activation of sirtuins, a recently discovered class of enzymes that the Company believes control the aging process. The company's headquarters are in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, the potential therapeutic effects of SIRT1 activators such as SRT501 and NCEs for diseases of aging such as Type 2 Diabetes:, the progress and results of pre-clinical and clinical studies of SIRT1 activators, and the potential of sirtuin modulators to receive regulatory approval. These forward-looking statements about future expectations, plans and prospects of Sirtris Pharmaceuticals involve significant risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including risks related to the lack of results that would provide a basis for predicting whether any of the Company's product candidates will be safe or effective, or receive regulatory approval, the possibility that results of pre-clinical studies are not necessarily predictive of clinical trial results, the Company's potential inability to initiate and complete pre-clinical studies and clinical trials for its product candidates, the fact that none of the Company's product candidates has received regulatory approvals, the potential inability of the Company to gain market acceptance of the Company's product candidates, and those other risks factors that can be found in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ materially from those Sirtris Pharmaceuticals contemplated by these forward-looking statements. Sirtris Pharmaceuticals does not undertake to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect a change in its views or events or circumstances that occur after the date of this release.
Contact:
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
John Lacey, 617-252-6920
Associate Director of Corporate Communications
jlacey@sirtrispharma.com
or
For Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Pure Communications
Sheryl Seapy, 949-608-0841
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
fratboy72
16 years ago
HUGE NEWS!! Sirtris Pharmaceuticals: Novel, Potent SIRT1 Activator Reduces Fat, Boosts Endurance and Improves Insulin Sensitivity in a Pre-clinical Model of Type 2 Diabetes
Thursday January 24, 8:00 am ET
New data to be presented at Keystone Conference
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRT - News), a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing small molecule drugs to treat diseases of aging such as Type 2 Diabetes, announced that one of its new chemical entities, which is structurally unrelated to and one thousand times more potent than resveratrol, reduces fat, boosts exercise endurance and improves insulin sensitivity in mice on a high-fat diet.
Johan Auwerx, MD, PhD, a member of Sirtris’ Scientific Advisory Board and Professor at the Medical Faculty of the University of Strasburg, France, will present the unpublished data at the Keystone Symposia on Diabetes Mellitus, Insulin Action and Resistance Conference on Saturday, January 26 from 8-11:30 am CST.
The new data will show that mice on a high-fat diet treated with one of Sirtris’ new chemical entities (NCEs) remained lean while consuming the same number of calories as the untreated mice. Mice on the highest dose of the NCE had no weight gain over 13 weeks, and in exercise testing, ran over 1,600 meters before tiring, while the untreated mice tired at roughly 800 meters.
The treated mice also showed lowered glucose, improved insulin sensitivity and increased energy expenditure due to an increase in the number and function of mitochondria, the powerhouses of the cell. These results are similar to a study previously published in the November 2006 issue of Cell by Dr. Auwerx when mice were treated with resveratrol.
“In this study we demonstrated that Sirtris’ new chemical entity stimulates the SIRT1 enzyme, and mimics the powerful effects we’ve seen in earlier studies but with lower dosage levels,” said Auwerx. “This activity provides evidence of a potential new, front-line therapy for Type 2 Diabetes.”
“We plan to have one of our new development compounds in a human clinical trial in the first half of this year,” said Sirtris Pharmaceuticals Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chair Christoph Westphal, MD, PhD. “In Dr.Auwerx’s study we see lowered glucose levels and improved insulin sensitivity, characteristics of other oral agents for Type 2 Diabetes.”
About Sirtris Pharmaceuticals
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing proprietary, orally available, small molecule drugs with the potential to treat diseases associated with aging, including metabolic diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes. Our drug candidates are designed to mimic certain beneficial health effects of calorie restriction, without requiring a change in eating habits, by activation of sirtuins, a recently discovered class of enzymes that control the aging process. The company's headquarters are in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, the potential therapeutic effects of SIRT1 activators including NCEs for diseases of aging, such as Type 2 Diabetes:, the progress and results of pre-clinical studies of SIRT1 activators including NCEs; the timing of clinical studies for NCEs; and the potential of sirtuin modulators to receive regulatory approval. These forward-looking statements about future expectations, plans and prospects of Sirtris Pharmaceuticals involve significant risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including risks related to the lack of results that would provide a basis for predicting whether any of the Company's product candidates will be safe or effective, or receive regulatory approval, the possibility that results of pre-clinical studies are not necessarily predictive of clinical trial results, the Company's potential inability to initiate and complete pre-clinical studies and clinical trials for its product candidates, the fact that none of the Company's product candidates has received regulatory approvals, the potential inability of the Company to gain market acceptance of the Company's product candidates, and those other risks factors that can be found in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ materially from those Sirtris Pharmaceuticals contemplated by these forward-looking statements. Sirtris Pharmaceuticals does not undertake to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect a change in its views or events or circumstances that occur after the date of this release.
Contact:
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
John Lacey, 617-252-6920
Associate Director of Corporate Communications
jlacey@sirtrispharma.com
or
Pure Communications
Sheryl Seapy, 949-608-0841
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
fratboy72
16 years ago
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals to Present at Keystone Symposia's Diabetes Mellitus, Insulin Action and Resistance Conference
Wednesday January 23, 8:00 am ET
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRT - News), a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing small molecule drugs to treat diseases of aging such as Type 2 Diabetes, announced today that a member of its Scientific Advisory Board and two of its scientists will be presenting at the Keystone Symposia’s Diabetes Mellitus, Insulin Action and Resistance Conference in Breckenridge, Colorado January 22-27. The presentations will include data on the impact of a new chemical activator of SIRT1, an enzyme shown to increase insulin sensitivity and improve glucose levels when stimulated in pre-clinical models of Type 2 Diabetes.
Johan Auwerx, MD, PhD, a member of Sirtris’ Scientific Advisory Board and Professor at the Medical Faculty of the University of Strasburg and Co-director of the Mouse Clinical Institute (ICS) in Strasburg, France, will speak during the session on New Molecular Mechanisms of Insulin Resistance. His talk will be on Saturday, January 26 from 8-11:30 am CST. Professor Auwerx will present new data that includes the impact of one of Sirtris’ new chemical entities (NCEs) in mice on a high-fat diet.
Heidi Galonek, PhD of Sirtris Pharmaceuticals will present her poster titled Small Molecule Activators of SIRT1 Suppress Inflammatory Signaling Pathways In Vivo on Wednesday, January 23 from 7:30-10:00 pm CST. “This work, which also used one of Sirtris’ new chemical entities, suggests SIRT1 activators could address the chronic low grade inflammation associated with Type 2 Diabetes,” said Michael Jirousek, PhD, Senior Vice President of Research. “In addition, we demonstrated that we could improve insulin sensitivity and glucose homeostatsis.”
Jesse Smith, PhD, also of Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, will present his poster titled Small Molecule Activators of SIRT1 Mimic Calorie Restriction In Vivo: A Novel Therapeutic Strategy in Treating Type II Diabetes on Friday, January 25 from 7:30-10:00 pm CST. “This work demonstrates that small molecules can mimic aspects of calorie restriction (CR) and provides further understanding of the mechanisms at work,” said Jirousek. “In a blinded analysis, databases at a computational systems biology company concluded that the strongest hypothesis for the results seen in our study was calorie restriction—showing that our novel SIRT1 activators are mimicking the effects of calorie restriction.”
"Sirtris is dedicated to building a broad platform of sirtuin therapeutics for diseases of aging,” said Sirtris Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chair Christoph Westphal, MD, PhD. “Our research program is continuously progressing new chemical entities toward the clinic with the first NCE planned to enter human trials in the first half of 2008."
About Sirtris Pharmaceuticals
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing proprietary, orally available, small molecule drugs with the potential to treat diseases associated with aging, including metabolic diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes. Our drug candidates are designed to mimic certain beneficial health effects of calorie restriction, without requiring a change in eating habits, by activation of sirtuins, a recently discovered class of enzymes that control the aging process. The company's headquarters are in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, the potential therapeutic effects of SIRT1 activators for diseases of aging, such as Type 2 Diabetes; the progress and results of pre-clinical studies of new chemical entities and pre-clinical and clinical studies of SIRT1 activators; development of first-in-class therapeutics known as new chemical entities that modulate sirtuins; and the potential of sirtuin modulators to receive regulatory approval. These forward-looking statements about future expectations, plans and prospects of Sirtris Pharmaceuticals involve significant risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including risks related to the lack of results that would provide a basis for predicting whether any of the Company's product candidates will be safe or effective, or receive regulatory approval, the possibility that results of pre-clinical studies are not necessarily predictive of clinical trial results, the Company's potential inability to initiate and complete pre-clinical studies and clinical trials for its product candidates, the fact that none of the Company's product candidates has received regulatory approvals, the potential inability of the Company to gain market acceptance of the Company's product candidates, and those other risks factors that can be found in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ materially from those Sirtris Pharmaceuticals contemplated by these forward-looking statements. Sirtris Pharmaceuticals does not undertake to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect a change in its views or events or circumstances that occur after the date of this release.
Contact:
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
John Lacey, 617-252-6920
Associate Director of Corporate Communications
jlacey@sirtrispharma.com
and
Pure Communications
Sheryl Seapy, 949-608-0841
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
fratboy72
16 years ago
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals CEO Presents Keynote Address at the Charite Hospital Berlin, Europe's Leading University Hospital
Tuesday January 22, 8:00 am ET
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRT - News), a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing small molecule drugs to treat diseases of aging such as Type 2 Diabetes, announced today that Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chair Christoph Westphal, M.D., Ph.D. will give the keynote address at the annual Charité Hospital/University of Berlin scientific symposium. The talk will be on Tuesday, January 22 at 5:00 pm GMT.
“It was an honor to be invited by Professor Detlev Ganten, CEO of the Charité Medical School, to present at their annual scientific symposium,” said Westphal. “The Charité is one of the most famous hospitals in Continental Europe and is surrounded by extremely talented scientists. My talk will focus on developing new therapies from academic discoveries, with particular emphasis on creating drugs that target the sirtuins, genes associated with aging.”
“Christoph has demonstrated visionary leadership and a proven ability to take cutting-edge research from academic medical centers into the biotech sector, first with Alnylam and RNA interference where key discoveries were made in Germany, and now with Sirtris regarding diseases of aging,” said Professor and Charité Chief Executive Officer Detlev Ganten.
The annual Charité symposium is attended by more than 500 scientists, doctors, and politicians, including the leadership of the biomedical sector in Germany. Speaking at this year’s event are Dr. Ganten, Senator Juergen Zoellner, and Dr. Westphal. The event is hosted by Johanna Quandt and the Quandt family, owners of BMW and longtime lead supporters of the Charité Hospital.
The Charité was recently ranked the top university medical school in Germany, as well as the top German medical school in impact and grant money. It has an annual budget of $1.5 billion USD. The medical school has been home to eight Nobel Laureates, including Robert Koch, Otto Warburg, and Rudolf Virchow, as well as many of the leading biomedical scientists in Germany.
About Sirtris Pharmaceuticals
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing proprietary, orally available, small molecule drugs with the potential to treat diseases associated with aging, including metabolic diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes. Our drug candidates are designed to mimic certain beneficial health effects of calorie restriction, without requiring a change in eating habits, by activation of sirtuins, a recently discovered class of enzymes that control the aging process. The company's headquarters are in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, the potential therapeutic effects of SIRT1 activators for diseases of aging, the progress and results of pre-clinical and clinical studies of SIRT1 activators, development of first-in-class therapeutics that modulate sirtuins, and the potential of sirtuin modulators to receive regulatory approval. These forward-looking statements about future expectations, plans and prospects of Sirtris Pharmaceuticals involve significant risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including risks related to the lack of results that would provide a basis for predicting whether any of the Company's product candidates will be safe or effective, or receive regulatory approval, the possibility that results of pre-clinical studies are not necessarily predictive of clinical trial results, the Company's potential inability to initiate and complete pre-clinical studies and clinical trials for its product candidates, the fact that none of the Company's product candidates has received regulatory approvals, the potential inability of the Company to gain market acceptance of the Company's product candidates, and those other risks factors that can be found in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ materially from those Sirtris Pharmaceuticals contemplated by these forward-looking statements. Sirtris Pharmaceuticals does not undertake to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect a change in its views or events or circumstances that occur after the date of this release.
Contact:
Investor and Media Contact:
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
John Lacey, 617-252-6920
Associate Director of Corporate Communications
jlacey@sirtrispharma.com
and
Pure Communications
Sheryl Seapy, 949-608-0841
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
fratboy72
16 years ago
Sirtris Announces Positive Results with Proprietary Version of Resveratrol, SRT501, in a Phase 1b Type 2 Diabetes Clinical Study
Monday January 7, 4:30 pm ET
SRT501, the first SIRT1 activator to enter the clinic, shows safety, trends in lowering fasting plasma glucose, and a significant lowering of glucose in an oral glucose tolerance test as presented at the 26th Annual JPMorgan Healthcare Conference, January 7th 2008
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRT - News), a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing small molecule drugs to treat diseases of aging such as Type 2 Diabetes, announced today that the Company’s first product to enter the clinic, SRT501, was found to be safe and well-tolerated, and was found to significantly lower glucose in an oral glucose tolerance test conducted as part of a 28 day Phase 1b clinical study in patients with Type 2 Diabetes. These data were presented at the 26th Annual JPMorgan Healthcare Conference on Monday, January 7th 2008 at 1:30 pm PST in San Francisco.
This 28-day Phase 1b study was designed to assess the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of once-daily, orally administered doses of either 2.5 g or 5 g of SRT501 in patients with Type 2 Diabetes who were naïve to other diabetes drug treatments. Both doses of SRT501 were found to be safe and well-tolerated, and pharmacokinetics, a measure of drug levels in the blood, were identical at days one and 28, suggesting no drug accumulation. There were no serious adverse events and no dose-related adverse events. Importantly, SRT501 showed a statistically significant improvement in an oral glucose tolerance test on day 28 at two hours and a trend towards lower fasting plasma glucose levels.
SRT501 is also being tested in patients with Type 2 Diabetes in a Phase 1b BID (twice daily administration) study and in a Phase 2a study in combination with metformin, the current first-line therapy for Type 2 Diabetes. SIRT1 is the founding member of the human sirtuin family of enzymes which control the aging process. Specifically, SRT501 acts by increasing mitochondrial activity and therefore is targeted to address metabolic diseases, such as Type 2 Diabetes.
"This is the first time that a small molecule targeting sirtuins, the genes which control the aging process, has shown efficacy in a disease of aging,” said Peter Elliott, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Development at Sirtris. “These Phase 1b study results are an important step forward for Sirtris because they represent significant progress in our clinical development of sirtuin therapeutics. We are very pleased to see the safety profile observed in preclinical studies translate into a well-tolerated drug molecule in patients, and we are very encouraged by the glucose lowering effects measured in the oral glucose test.”
Christoph Westphal, M.D., Ph.D., CEO and Vice Chair of Sirtris added, "Effective treatment for Type 2 Diabetes, a disease of aging, is an unmet medical need and sirtuin therapeutics may offer significant potential. SRT501 may represent a promising treatment option for these patients. We look forward to obtaining the results from our other Phase 1b clinical trial and the results from our Phase 2a clinical trial later this year.”
About Sirtris Pharmaceuticals
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing proprietary, orally available, small molecule drugs with the potential to treat diseases associated with aging, including metabolic diseases, such as Type 2 Diabetes. Our drug candidates are designed to mimic certain beneficial health effects of calorie restriction, without requiring a change in eating habits, by activation of sirtuins, a recently discovered class of enzymes that control the aging process. The company's headquarters are in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, the potential therapeutic effects of SIRT1 activators including SRT501 for diseases of aging, such as Type 2 Diabetes, the progress and results of pre-clinical and clinical studies of SIRT1 activators, the potential therapeutic effects of SRT501 and other SIRT1 activators, and the potential of sirtuin modulators and activators to receive regulatory approval. These forward-looking statements about future expectations, plans and prospects of Sirtris Pharmaceuticals involve significant risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including risks related to the lack of results that would provide a basis for predicting whether any of the Company’s product candidates will be safe or effective, or receive regulatory approval, the possibility that results of pre-clinical studies are not necessarily predictive of clinical trial results, the Company's potential inability to initiate and complete pre-clinical studies and clinical trials for its product candidates, the fact that none of the Company's product candidates has received regulatory approvals, the potential inability of the Company to gain market acceptance of the Company's product candidates, and those other risks factors that can be found in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ materially from those Sirtris Pharmaceuticals contemplated by these forward-looking statements. Sirtris Pharmaceuticals does not undertake to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect a change in its views or events or circumstances that occur after the date of this release.
Contact:
Investor Contact:
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Michelle Dipp, M.D., Ph.D., 617-252-6920
Senior Director of Corporate Development
or
Media Contacts:
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
John Lacey, 781-354-7452
Assoc Dir. Corp Communications
jlacey@sirtrispharma.com
or
For Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Pure Communications
Sheryl Seapy, 949-608-0841
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
fratboy72
16 years ago
Form 8-K for SIRTRIS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4-Jan-2008
Change in Directors or Principal Officers, Financial Statements and
Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers
Compensatory Awards to Executive Officers
On January 2, 2008, the Board of Directors of Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the "Company") approved the following compensatory actions for the executive officers of the Company:
†††† An increase in base salaries as follows: (a) the base annual salary for Christoph Westphal, President and Chief Executive Officer was increased to $450,000; (b) the base annual salary for Garen Bohlin, Chief Operating Officer was increased to $330,000; (c) the base annual salary for Peter Elliott, Senior Vice President, Head of Development was increased to $322,500; and (d) the base annual salary for Michael Jirousek, Senior Vice President, Research was increased to $290,000.
† An award of cash bonuses based upon the achievement of 2007 corporate performance goals, in each case consistent with the terms of the Company's previous disclosure as follows: (a) Christoph Westphal received a bonus of $183,800; (b) Garen Bohlin received a bonus of $93,100; (c) Peter Elliott received a bonus of $92,800; and (d) Michael Jirousek received a bonus of $82,200.
†††† An award of stock options under the Company's 2004 Stock Option and Restricted Stock Plan (the "Plan") as follows: (a) Christoph Westphal was granted an option to purchase 150,000 shares; (b) Garen Bohlin was granted an option to purchase 55,000 shares; (c) Peter Elliott was granted an option to purchase 42,500 shares; and (d) Michael Jirousek was granted an option to purchase 32,500 shares. The options vest as to 25% of such shares on January 2, 2009, with the remainder of shares to vest in equal quarterly installments (rounded down to the nearest whole share except for the last installment, which shall vest as to the remaining unvested shares) over the next 12 quarters ending March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31 following January 2, 2009.
†††† An award of restricted stock under the Plan as follows: (a) Christoph Westphal was awarded 150,000 shares; (b) Garen Bohlin was awarded 55,000 shares;
(c) Peter Elliott was awarded 42,500 shares; and (d) Michael Jirousek was awarded 32,500 shares. The awards vest as to 20% of such shares on January 1, 2010, 30% of such shares on January 1, 2011 and 50% of such shares of January 1, 2012, provided that, the portion of the shares that would otherwise vest on January 1, 2012 will vest earlier if certain business development goals are met.
Resignation and Election of Directors
On January 2, 2008, each of Alan Crane and John Freund announced his resignation as a director of the Company effective January 2, 2008. Mr. Freund served on the Company's Compensation and Audit Committees.
On January 2, 2008, the Board of Directors of the Company, upon recommendation from the Company's Nominating and Governance Committee, voted to appoint Jeffrey Capello as a director of the Company, effective January 2, 2008. Mr. Capello was elected to fill the vacancy created by Mr. Crane's resignation and will be slated to stand for re-election at the Company's 2008 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. Mr. Capello was appointed to the Audit Committee. Mr. Capello will receive fees consistent with those fees received by the existing directors for service as a director of the Company. A copy of the Company's press release announcing Mr. Capello's appointment is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and the information contained therein is incorporated herein by reference.
Amendments to Executive Agreements
On January 2, 2008, upon a recommendation of the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors, the Company entered into amended and restated employment agreements with Christoph Westphal, Garen Bohlin, Peter Elliott and Michael Jirousek, to make the payments and benefits payable to these executive officers in certain circumstances more consistent with each other and reflective of current market terms for similarly situated executives. The agreements provide that a certain percentage of the options and restricted stock held by each of these executive officers, other than Mr. Westphal, will vest upon a change in control (as defined in the agreements), and the remainder of the options and restricted stock will vest upon termination by the Company without cause (as defined in the agreements) or by the employee for good reason (as defined in the agreements) within a certain time period following the change in control. Mr. Westphal's employment agreement was amended to provide that all of Mr. Westphal's unvested options, in addition to his restricted stock, will fully vest upon a change in control. Additionally, if any of Messrs. Westphal, Bohlin, Elliott or Jirousek is terminated
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during a specified period following a change in control without cause or for good reason, each officer, other than Mr. Westphal, will each receive a lump sum payment equal to 12 months base salary. Mr. Westphal will receive a lump sum payment equal to 18 months of base salary. Each executive officer will also receive a pro-rata portion of the target bonus he would have received for the year in which the termination occurs.
Upon termination by the Company without cause or by the employee for good reason, or in the event of death or disability, each executive officer will receive a severance payment equal to 12 months of base salary. These executive officers will also receive continuation of their benefits, at the Company's expense, during the severance period. All options and restricted stock held by the executive officers shall vest as to an additional twelve months of vesting; provided that for restricted stock, a minimum of 25% of the unvested shares shall vest. In addition to these severance payments and benefits, the executive officer will receive a pro-rata portion of the target bonus he would have received for the year in which the termination occurs.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits.
99.1 Press Release issued by the Company dated January 2, 2008.
fratboy72
16 years ago
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals to Present at the 26th Annual JPMorgan Healthcare Conference January 7, 2008
Thursday January 3, 8:00 am ET
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRT - News), a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing small molecule drugs to treat diseases of aging such as Type 2 Diabetes, announced today that it will be presenting at the 26th Annual JPMorgan Healthcare Conference on Monday January 7, 2008 at 1:30 pm PST in San Francisco. Sirtris will discuss the Company’s strategy for discovering and developing first-in-class therapeutics that modulate sirtuins, a recently discovered class of enzymes that control the aging process, as well as the Company’s clinical progress. The presentation will be webcast live and can be accessed on the Sirtris website, www.sirtrispharma.com, in the investor relations section. A replay will be available approximately twenty-four hours after the presentation and will be archived on the Company’s website for two weeks.
About Sirtris Pharmaceuticals
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing proprietary, orally available, small molecule drugs with the potential to treat diseases associated with aging, including metabolic diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes. Our drug candidates are designed to mimic certain beneficial health effects of calorie restriction, without requiring a change in eating habits, by activation of sirtuins, a recently discovered class of enzymes that control the aging process. The company's headquarters are in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, the potential therapeutic effects of SIRT1 activators for diseases of aging, the progress and results of pre-clinical and clinical studies of SIRT1 activators, development of first-in-class therapeutics that modulate sirtuins, and the potential of sirtuin modulators to receive regulatory approval. These forward-looking statements about future expectations, plans and prospects of Sirtris Pharmaceuticals involve significant risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including risks related to the lack of results that would provide a basis for predicting whether any of the Company’s product candidates will be safe or effective, or receive regulatory approval, the possibility that results of pre-clinical studies are not necessarily predictive of clinical trial results, the Company's potential inability to initiate and complete pre-clinical studies and clinical trials for its product candidates, the fact that none of the Company's product candidates has received regulatory approvals, the potential inability of the Company to gain market acceptance of the Company's product candidates, and those other risks factors that can be found in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ materially from those Sirtris Pharmaceuticals contemplated by these forward-looking statements. Sirtris Pharmaceuticals does not undertake to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect a change in its views or events or circumstances that occur after the date of this release.
Contact:
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Investors:
Michelle Dipp, M.D., Ph.D. 617-252-6920
Media:
John Lacey, 781-354-7452 (Mobile)
Assoc. Dir. Corporate Communications
or
Pure Communications
Sheryl Seapy, 949-608-0841
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
fratboy72
16 years ago
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals Announces the Appointment of Jeffrey Capello, SVP and CFO of PerkinElmer, to its Board of Directors
Wednesday January 2, 4:00 pm ET
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRT - News), a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing small molecule drugs to treat diseases of aging such as Type 2 Diabetes, announced today that Mr. Jeffrey Capello, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of PerkinElmer, Inc. has been appointed to its Board of Directors.
Prior to joining PerkinElmer in 2001, Mr. Capello served as a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers initially in the United States and later in the Netherlands. Mr. Capello, a licensed CPA, holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Vermont and a Masters of Business Administration degree from Harvard University.
“Sirtris is very pleased to welcome Mr. Capello to our Board of Directors. Jeff brings with him extensive experience in the finance and business development areas and will be a tremendous asset to our organization,” said Christoph Westphal, M.D., Ph.D. CEO and Vice Chair of Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Mr. Capello commented, “I am very pleased to be joining the Board of such a dynamic and exciting biopharmaceutical company. Sirtris has done an impressive job advancing both the science and clinical development of sirtuin-focused drug candidates to treat diseases of aging, and I look forward to being a part of the company’s efforts moving forward.”
This appointment follows the resignations of Alan Crane and John Freund. Christoph Westphal stated, “I would like to take this opportunity to thank Alan and John for their significant contributions to the Sirtris Board and for their support of the company over the past three years.”
About Sirtris Pharmaceuticals
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing proprietary, orally available, small molecule drugs with the potential to treat diseases associated with aging, including metabolic diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes. Our drug candidates are designed to mimic certain beneficial health effects of calorie restriction, without requiring a change in eating habits, by activation of sirtuins, a recently discovered class of enzymes that control the aging process. The company's headquarters are in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, the potential therapeutic effects of SIRT1 activators for diseases of aging, such as Type 2 Diabetes and disorders, such as MELAS, the progress and results of pre-clinical studies of SIRT1 activators, and the potential of sirtuin modulators to receive regulatory approval. These forward-looking statements about future expectations, plans and prospects of Sirtris Pharmaceuticals involve significant risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including risks related to the lack of results that would provide a basis for predicting whether any of the Company’s product candidates will be safe or effective, or receive regulatory approval, the possibility that results of pre-clinical studies are not necessarily predictive of clinical trial results, the Company's potential inability to initiate and complete pre-clinical studies and clinical trials for its product candidates, the fact that none of the Company's product candidates has received regulatory approvals, the potential inability of the Company to gain market acceptance of the Company's product candidates, and those other risks factors that can be found in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ materially from those Sirtris Pharmaceuticals contemplated by these forward-looking statements. Sirtris Pharmaceuticals does not undertake to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect a change in its views or events or circumstances that occur after the date of this release.
Contact:
Investor Contact:
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Michelle Dipp, M.D., Ph.D., 617-252-6920
or
Media Contact:
Pure Communications
Sheryl Seapy, 949-608-0841
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
georgejjl
16 years ago
"SIRT1 transgenic mice show phenotypes resembling calorie restriction.Bordone L, Cohen D, Robinson A, Motta MC, van Veen E, Czopik A, Steele AD, Crowe H, Marmor S, Luo J, Gu W, Guarente L.
Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
We generated mice that overexpress the sirtuin, SIRT1. Transgenic mice have been generated by knocking in SIRT1 cDNA into the beta-actin locus. Mice that are hemizygous for this transgene express normal levels of beta-actin and higher levels of SIRT1 protein in several tissues. Transgenic mice display some phenotypes similar to mice on a calorie-restricted diet: they are leaner than littermate controls; are more metabolically active; display reductions in blood cholesterol, adipokines, insulin and fasted glucose; and are more glucose tolerant. Furthermore, transgenic mice perform better on a rotarod challenge and also show a delay in reproduction. Our findings suggest that increased expression of SIRT1 in mice elicits beneficial phenotypes that may be relevant to human health and longevity."
Good luck and God bless,
George
fratboy72
16 years ago
NEWS: (also from last week)
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals' SIRT1 Activator Controls Glucose as well as a DPP-4 inhibitor in a Pre-Clinical Model of Type 2 Diabetes
Promising, Preclinical Results Highlight Opportunity for Improved Therapies to Treat Type 2 Diabetes; Data Presented at the 2007 RBC Capital Markets Healthcare Conference on December 13, 2007
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRT), a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing small molecule drugs to treat diseases of aging such as Type 2 Diabetes, is presenting data today at the 2007 RBC Capital Markets Healthcare Conference on The Pharmaceutical Sweet Spot: Diabetes And Obesity Treatments Panel demonstrating that one of its new chemical entity (NCE) SIRT1 activators lowers plasma glucose and improves insulin sensitivity in a pre-clinical model of Type 2 Diabetes as well as or better than sitagliptin, a DPP-4 inhibitor. In addition, in an intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test, Sirtris’ SIRT1 activator was shown to control glucose excursion as well as sitagliptin in this pre-clinical model of Type 2 Diabetes. In contrast to DPP-4 inhibitors, which lower glucose, SIRT1 activation appears to both lower glucose and also sensitize to insulin in these models.
The panel will be webcast live and can be accessed on the Sirtris website, www.sirtrispharma.com, in the investor relations section. A replay will be available approximately twenty-four hours after the presentation and will be archived on the company’s website for two weeks.
About Sirtris Pharmaceuticals
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing proprietary, orally available, small molecule drugs with the potential to treat diseases associated with aging, including metabolic diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes. Our drug candidates are designed to mimic certain beneficial health effects of calorie restriction, without requiring a change in eating habits, by activation of sirtuins, a recently discovered class of enzymes that control the aging process. The company's headquarters are in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, the potential therapeutic effects of SIRT1 activators for diseases of aging, such as Type 2 Diabetes and disorders, such as MELAS, the progress and results of pre-clinical studies of SIRT1 activators, and the potential of sirtuin modulators to receive regulatory approval. These forward-looking statements about future expectations, plans and prospects of Sirtris Pharmaceuticals involve significant risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including risks related to the lack of results that would provide a basis for predicting whether any of the Company’s product candidates will be safe or effective, or receive regulatory approval, the possibility that results of pre-clinical studies are not necessarily predictive of clinical trial results, the Company's potential inability to initiate and complete pre-clinical studies and clinical trials for its product candidates, the fact that none of the Company's product candidates has received regulatory approvals, the potential inability of the Company to gain market acceptance of the Company's product candidates, and those other risks factors that can be found in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ materially from those Sirtris Pharmaceuticals contemplated by these forward-looking statements. Sirtris Pharmaceuticals does not undertake to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect a change in its views or events or circumstances that occur after the date of this release.
Investor Contact:
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Michelle Dipp, M.D., Ph.D., 617-252-6920
or
Media Contact:
For Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Pure Communications
Sheryl Seapy, 949-608-0841
Source: Business Wire (December 13, 2007 - 10:01 AM EST)
fratboy72
16 years ago
NEWS: (from last week)
Sirtris' SIRT 1 Activator Selected by National Institute of Aging for Study of Beneficial Effects on Aging
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRT), a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing small molecule drugs to treat diseases of aging, announced today that the National Institute of Aging (NIA) has selected one of its SIRT1 activators for an Interventions Testing Program to study the effects of SIRT1 activation on aging.
"We are delighted to be working with the National Institute of Aging on this important aging study, testing the effects of SIRT1 activation for diseases of aging. This is another step forward in advancing our platform of SIRT1 activators," said Christoph Westphal, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chair of Sirtris Pharmaceuticals.
About Sirtris Pharmaceuticals
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing proprietary, orally available, small molecule drugs with the potential to treat diseases associated with aging, including metabolic diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes. Our drug candidates are designed to mimic certain beneficial health effects of calorie restriction, without requiring a change in eating habits, by activation of sirtuins, a recently discovered class of enzymes that control the aging process. The company's headquarters are in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, the potential therapeutic effects of SIRT1 activators for diseases of aging, the progress and results of pre-clinical studies of SIRT1 activators, and the potential of sirtuin modulators to receive regulatory approval. These forward-looking statements about future expectations, plans and prospects of Sirtris Pharmaceuticals involve significant risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including risks related to the lack of results that would provide a basis for predicting whether any of the Company’s product candidates will be safe or effective, or receive regulatory approval, the possibility that results of pre-clinical studies are not necessarily predictive of clinical trial results, the Company's potential inability to initiate and complete pre-clinical studies and clinical trials for its product candidates, the fact that none of the Company's product candidates has received regulatory approvals, the potential inability of the Company to gain market acceptance of the Company's product candidates, and those other risks factors that can be found in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ materially from those Sirtris Pharmaceuticals contemplated by these forward-looking statements. Sirtris Pharmaceuticals does not undertake to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect a change in its views or events or circumstances that occur after the date of this release.
Investor Contact:
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Michelle Dipp, M.D., Ph.D., 617-252-6920
or
Media Contact:
Pure Communications
Sheryl Seapy, 949-608-0841
Source: Business Wire (December 11, 2007 - 8:02 AM EST)
fratboy72
16 years ago
NEWS:
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals to Present at the National Institute of Aging on December 4, 2007
Monday December 3, 8:00 am ET
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRT - News), a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing small molecule drugs to treat diseases of aging such as Type 2 Diabetes, announced today that on December 4, 2007 it will be presenting at the National Institute of Aging Workshop on Aging.
About Sirtris Pharmaceuticals
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing proprietary, orally available, small molecule drugs with the potential to treat diseases associated with aging, including metabolic diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes. Our drug candidates are designed to mimic certain beneficial health effects of calorie restriction, without requiring a change in eating habits, by activation of sirtuins, a recently discovered class of enzymes that control the aging process. The company's headquarters are in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, the potential therapeutic effects of SIRT1 activators for diseases of aging, such as Type 2 Diabetes and disorders, such as MELAS, the progress and results of pre-clinical studies of SIRT1 activators, and the potential of sirtuin modulators to receive regulatory approval. These forward-looking statements about future expectations, plans and prospects of Sirtris Pharmaceuticals involve significant risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including risks related to the lack of results that would provide a basis for predicting whether any of the Company’s product candidates will be safe or effective, or receive regulatory approval, the possibility that results of pre-clinical studies are not necessarily predictive of clinical trial results, the Company's potential inability to initiate and complete pre-clinical studies and clinical trials for its product candidates, the fact that none of the Company's product candidates has received regulatory approvals, the potential inability of the Company to gain market acceptance of the Company's product candidates, and those other risks factors that can be found in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ materially from those Sirtris Pharmaceuticals contemplated by these forward-looking statements. Sirtris Pharmaceuticals does not undertake to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect a change in its views or events or circumstances that occur after the date of this release.
Contact:
Investor Contact:
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Michelle Dipp, M.D., Ph.D., 617-252-6920
or
Media Contact:
Pure Communications
Sheryl Seapy, 949-608-0841
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
gfp927z
17 years ago
7-8-07 NY Times article on Sirtris
>>> July 8, 2007
Slipstream
An Age-Defying Quest (Red Wine Included)
By JASON PONTIN
SIRTRIS PHARMACEUTICALS wants to sell you the elixir of youth. Yet the company’s founders are neither cranks nor quacks, but include a well-regarded Harvard scientist and a serial entrepreneur.
Imagine a pill, derived from a compound found in something as benign as red wine, that treated the most feared and debilitating diseases of aging: illnesses like diabetes, neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, and many forms of cancer. Imagine, furthermore, that this pill had no injurious side effects. Imagine, finally, that the pill’s only side effect conferred what human beings have always wanted: an increase in life span. That’s what Sirtris wants to create.
Christoph Westphal, the chief executive of Sirtris, who has an M.D. and a Ph.D. in biology from Harvard Medical School, was previously a venture capitalist at Polaris Ventures and was a founder of Acceleron Pharma, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and Momenta Pharmaceuticals, among other companies. The last two companies, which are publicly traded, have a combined market value of more $1.4 billion.
Sirtris was founded in the spring of 2004 by Dr. Westphal to commercialize the research of David Sinclair, a professor of pathology at Harvard Medical School and the director of the Glenn Laboratories for the Biological Mechanisms of Aging. Mr. Sinclair, who at the relatively youthful age of 37 is already renowned for his investigations into how we grow old, discovered in 2003 that a molecular compound called resveratrol, found in red wine and other plant products, extends the life span of mice by as much as 24 percent and the life span of other animals, such as flies and fish, by as much as 59 percent.
Dr. Westphal, a self-described “geek” who relaxes by reading papers in academic journals like Nature and Science, was stunned by Mr. Sinclair’s discovery, and visited him in his lab to discuss the implications for drug development. The two soon decided to start a company.
“I figured if there’s going to be one chance that I’d take an 80 percent pay cut to be the C.E.O. of a company rather than general partner in a venture firm, then this was it,” Dr. Westphal, 39, told me when I visited Sirtris’s offices in Cambridge, Mass. “If we’re right on this one, everyone’s going to want to take these drugs and they’re going to treat many of the major diseases of Western society.”
Since founding the company, Dr. Westphal and Mr. Sinclair have raised more than $103 million in venture funding, from various investors like Polaris Venture Partners, the Novartis Bioventures Fund and the Genzyme Corporation. In May, Sirtris completed a successful initial public offering, raising an additional $62 million in capital. Thus, Sirtris now has $140 million in cash and annual expenses of only $37 million, according to Dr. Westphal. “We can control our destiny,” he says. “We can actually go for this crazy idea that you can target genes that control the aging process.”
Mr. Sinclair believes that resveratrol works by activating a gene called SIRT-1, which many biologists think plays a fundamental, if still obscure, role in regulating life span in mammals. Scientists have shown that increasing the activity of SIRT-1 in animals slows down aging and postpones or eliminates diseases of old age. No one really knows why SIRT-1 has the effect it does. One theory, proposed by Leonard Guarente, Mr. Sinclair’s mentor, who discovered the sirtuin genes (as they are collectively known) and is a biology professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is that SIRT-1 is activated by caloric restriction.
Biologists have known for 70 years that mice will live much longer when they are fed a nutritious diet with 30 to 40 percent fewer calories than they would normally eat. (Mr. Guarente and Mr. Sinclair think that this could be an ancient evolutionary adaptation to scarcity and starvation.) Resveratrol may therefore be mimicking caloric restriction without an arduous diet that few people can maintain for very long.
“Nobody knows why we age,” Mr. Sinclair explained to me. “We’re working on genes that increase fitness and defenses against diseases. The body mounts those defenses when it’s under adversity. Caloric restriction is one of those triggers and the molecules we’re developing are also one of those triggers.”
Dr. Westphal and Mr. Sinclair stress that they are not working to “cure” aging, a condition that, so far at least, is common to all humanity and that most physicians do not consider a disease. “Curing aging is not an endpoint the federal drug agency would recognize,” Dr. Westphal says dryly. Instead, both men say, they are working to ameliorate the diseases of aging.
While Mr. Sinclair has bragged that resveratrol is as “close to a miraculous molecule as you get,” much uncertainty surrounds his research and the commercialization of his discovery faces many challenges.
Quite apart from any scientific debate about why resveratrol works and whether it will have the same beneficial effect in humans that has been demonstrated in animals with short life spans, no one knows if resveratrol will be toxic when taken in therapeutic doses. Mr. Sinclair argues that the compound is unlikely to be toxic because it is modulating enzymes “that naturally go up and down according to diet.”
In any case, he says, mice have consumed as much as 400 milligrams of resveratrol per kilogram of body weight without ill effect. On the contrary, the rodents became sleek, slim and powerfully athletic. (A human would have to drink 10,000 bottles of wine a day to consume the same quantity of resveratrol.)
But Phillip A. Sharp, a 1993 Nobel laureate in medicine and physiology who has advised Sirtris, strongly disagrees: “Mice are not men, and even if you treat a mouse he can’t tell you if there’s something wrong with his paw,” said Mr. Sharp, who is also the director of the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at M.I.T. “Until you go into long-term human studies, there will always be unknown risks.”
SIRTRIS has begun such studies. The company has one compound, called SRT501, an improved formulation of resveratrol that is in early clinical trials for the treatment of diabetes. Later this year, Dr. Westphal says, the company will also begin clinical trials with SRT501 to treat Melas syndrome, a disorder of the cell’s mitochondria, in which sufferers age with unnatural haste.
The company is also developing other “sirtuin activators” that are unrelated to resveratrol, and which Dr. Westphal describes as “one thousand times” as powerful as SRT501. In theory, drugs derived from such compounds would be more effective at lower doses. Sirtris hopes to have its first drugs in commercial production by 2012 or 2013. While that may seem far off, it’s wonderfully fast for the biopharmaceutical industry, where development is onerously slow, difficult and uncertain.
This speed of research and development owes much to Dr. Westphal’s energy and Mr. Sinclair’s ambition.
“For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to develop drugs that combat diseases of aging,” Mr. Sinclair says. “As soon as I realized I was mortal, I started to worry. I set a goal to see if we could make drugs that would target the diseases of aging in my lifetime. I didn’t know it would be possible at all — and I didn’t know it would happen so quickly.”
Jason Pontin is the editor in chief and publisher of Technology Review, a magazine and Web site owned by M.I.T. E-mail:
pontin@nytimes.com <<<
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