Meyer Pharmaceuticals is developing a new technology that regulates genes that cause inflammation.  The NF‑κB oligonucleotide decoys can be administered directly to the disease site to turn off pro-inflammatory genes, improving symptoms and reversing progression of the disease.

Gene expression is activated through binding sites in their promoter regions for transcription factors.  The transcription factor NF‑κB up-regulates a number of pro-inflammatory genes, either directly or indirectly:

• cytokines (cell signaling molecules), such as IL-1 and TNFα
• chemokines, such as RANTES and MCP-1
• cell adhesion proteins, such as ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and E-selectin
• enzymes that cause tissue destruction, such as metalloproteases and COX‑2

Expression of the whole family of NF‑κB regulated genes can be inhibited by using oligonucleotide decoys.  These are small segments of modified DNA that bind and block the NF‑κB transcription factor, preventing it from activating these genes.

The line of pharmaceuticals being developed by Meyer Pharmaceuticals will be the first in its class.  Currently available therapeutics are either large biological agents like TNF antibody, or small molecule drugs.  The biological agents are specific and effective, but they are expensive and must be administered systemically (to the whole body).  Currently available small molecule drugs are less expensive and easier to administer, but they don’t have the same precise specificity.

Oligonucleotide decoy technology combines the best features of both:

• It has a nucleotide sequence designed to target NF κB regulated genes specifically, and not other genes
  
• It regulates several different genes involved at different stages of the inflammatory process
• It can be produced by automated chemical synthesis, and so is much less expensive than biological agents
• It can be administered directly to the site of the disease

Oligonucleotide decoys have been under development for 10 years by AnGes MG Inc., a pharmaceutical company located in Osaka, Japan.  Meyer Pharmaceuticals has obtained an exclusive license for the development and marketing of AnGes technology in North America and Europe.

Meyer’s leading product in this area is MP40.  It is protected by U.S. Patent No. 6,262,033.

The world pharmaceutical market for skin conditions like dermatitis and psoriasis is currently over $2 billion per year.  Despite the prevalence of skin disease, few new therapies that have made a significant impact.  The world pharmaceutical market for asthma and other airway diseases is about $12 billion per year.  This technology is being developed by Meyer Pharmaceuticals to address a large unmet medical need.