Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals Awarded Three NIH Grants
Collaborations with McLean Hospital and Syracuse University to Research CNS Disorders and Infectious Disease
Cambridge, MA, October 16, 2003 – Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced funding from the National Institutes of Health for three new research projects. Two grants will be shared with McLean Hospital and focus on the identification and characterization of central nervous system disorders. The third grant supports research with Syracuse University for the development of new radiopharmaceuticals for the rapid visualization of infectious disease.
One award from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke will fund development of new radiopharmaceuticals to identify changes in the dopamine transporter with potential for diagnosis and monitoring of therapy in Parkinson’s disease, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and cocaine addiction. The second grant from the Institute of Child Health and Human Development will build on McLean’s earlier research in the role of the dopamine D4 receptor in ADHD to identify potential compounds with high affinity for the receptors. The third award, from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, will fund a project designed to develop peptide libraries that incorporate the company’s proprietary single amino acid chelate chemistry platform as novel imaging probes for visualizing infection.
"This collaboration between McLean Hospital and Molecular Insight has the promise to dramatically improve the lives of those living with serious brain disorders," said Bruce Cohen, M.D., Ph.D., President and Psychiatrist in Chief for McLean. "Molecular imaging provides us with an unprecedented look at the brain and the molecular changes it undergoes as a cause or result of illness. The new technologies being developed could enable us to detect illness earlier and more accurately and therefore, lead to better management and treatment of disease."
According to David S. Barlow, Chairman and CEO of Molecular Insight, the company’s research and development strategy includes close collaborations with premier research institutions that are leaders in understanding the role of molecular pathways in the onset and progression of disease. These partnerships play a critical role in expanding the company’s pipeline of radiopharmaceuticals that potentially offer meaningful advances in cardiology, neurology, oncology, psychiatry and infectious disease.
"During the last four years, Molecular Insight has earned 19 NIH grants for its research and development programs in molecular imaging and radiotherapy,” said John W. Babich, Ph.D., President and Chief Scientific Officer. “This support recognizes the important potential of both our technology and the field of molecular imaging."
About McLean Hospital
Founded in 1811, McLean Hospital, located just outside Boston, is the largest psychiatric clinical care, teaching and research facility of Harvard Medical School, an affiliate of Massachusetts General Hospital and a member of Partners HealthCare.
About Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a privately held emerging biopharmaceutical company focused on leveraging its proprietary technology platforms to develop innovative molecular imaging pharmaceuticals. These products are designed to improve the management of disease by enabling the visualization of disease processes at the molecular level. The company, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has established a strong pipeline of product candidates focused on the large and growing imaging markets in cardiology, infectious disease, cancer and neurology.
Contact:
Priscilla Harlan
Vice President, Corporate Communications
Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
(617) 492-5554