PARATHYROID HORMONE ANALOGUES USEFUL FOR TREATMENT OF OSTEOPOROSIS

Advanced osteoporosis affects millions of women worldwide, resulting in frail bones that can lead to severe injury and chronic pain. The National Institutes of Health estimates that the health care costs resulting from osteoporotic fractures were $13.8 billion in 1995, and are rising annually. This figure does not take into account the costs associated with lost productivity. While there is great expense associated with treatment of osteoporosis, the products currently available only slow the progression of the disease by slowing the loss of bone. There is new hope, however, as recently parathyroid hormone has been shown to increase the growth of new bone in clinical trials.

Researchers at UCSF have developed analogs of parathyroid hormone that are more specific for bone than kidney, and may thus result in less side effects. In a rat model in which the ovaries have been removed to mimic the post-menopausal estrogen deficiency that results in loss of bone mass, these analogs still maintain the ability to induce bone formation. Thus, these analogs may be particularly useful for treating osteoporosis. In addition, an issued patent covering these analogs provide commercial exclusivity, whereas parathyroid hormone is no longer under patent protection.

Intellectual Property:

UCSF holds an issued U.S. patent No. 5,849,695 and an issued Australian patent No. 667,662 covering composition of matter for these parathyroid analogs, and methods for treating osteoporosis and other diseases of the bone in mammals by administering specific analogs.

Selected References:

Lane NE, et al., Bone-selective analogs of human PTH(1-34) increase bone formation in an ovariectomized rat model. J. Bone Miner Res. 1996 May, 11(5): 614-25.

Cohen FE, et al., Analogues of parathyroid hormone modified at positions 3 and 6. Effects on receptor binding and activation of adenylyl cyclase in kidney and bone. J. Biol. Chem. 1991 Jan., 266(3): 1997-2004.

If you would like to receive further information about this technology and potential licensing opportunities, please contact:

Sunita Rajdev, Ph.D.
Licensing Officer
(415) 353-4470 phone
(415) 348-1579 fax
Sunita Rajdev

Reference: OTM Case #SF99-067