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University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine and Pathfinder Management, Inc. Sign Exclusive Licensing Agreement for Coenzyme Q10 Formulations

Posted on: Monday, 25 July 2005, 15:01 CDT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. and MIAMI, July 25 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine and Pathfinder Management, Inc. (PMI) today announced the signing of a worldwide exclusive license agreement. The deal gives PMI an exclusive license agreement for the technology and products described in UM's patent application entitled "Topical Coenzyme Q10 Formulations and Methods of Use."

As part of the agreement, PMI will fund research, and develop and market the most promising over the counter and prescription drug opportunities for the CoQ10 formulations. The company hopes the products will provide patients, especially those with cancer, with a better quality of life. Each year in the United States more than 500,000 people die of cancer.

University of Miami School of Medicine researchers found that a very potent antioxidant, ubiquinone, more commonly referred to as Coenzyme Q10 or CoQ10 that occurs naturally in the body can be delivered to cancer cells in culture and in animals to restore apoptosis, which is the normal programmed cell death that goes awry in the disease process.

"The most amazing part is that we've been able to restore a cancer cell's ability to kill itself, while not impacting normal cells," said Niven R. Narain, director of transdermal delivery/cutaneous cancer research in the Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery at the Miller School of Medicine.

Researchers believe this treatment has an advantage over other cancer therapies. "Chemotherapy affects both normal and cancer cells, but based on the data we've seen, it would appear that Coenzyme Q10 only impacts the cancer cells," said Indushekhar Persaud, chief bioengineer for drug delivery therapeutics in the Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery at the Miller School of Medicine.

"This significant work is an excellent model for the important outcomes of basic science research, to offer new opportunities for exploring therapeutic options in ill patients. It is the laboratory bench to bedside paradigm we all seek," said Lawrence A. Schachner, M.D., chairman of the Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery at the Miller School of Medicine.

The scientists have examined various ways to deliver the CoQ10, including through the skin. "We are always looking for new innovative and versatile products to combine with our own novel trans-dermal delivery technologies in an effort to expand our product lines," said Lan Strickland, chief marketing officer of PMI. "This agreement enables PMI and its partners to work with new drug delivery systems beyond trans-dermal delivery. By collaborating with the University of Miami School of Medicine we hope to offer novel both over the counter and prescription products that will help alleviate pain and improve the quality of life for thousands of patients."

This goal is shared by S. L. Hsia, Ph.D., director of the Transdermal Delivery/Cutaneous Biology Laboratory in the Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery at the Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine. "It is amazing that such early laboratory studies show that a benign compound such as CoQ10 can cause cancer cells to selectively kill themselves without harm to normal cells. Our entire team looks forward to one day bringing the benefit and hope of this technology to many cancer patients."

"It is always a good feeling to have the opportunity to do well commercially with cutting-edge technologies, while at the same time benefiting humanity," echoed Mitch Gray, president and chief executive officer of PMI.

About the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine

The University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine has earned international acclaim for research, clinical care, and biomedical innovations. Among its centers of excellence are Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, the UM/Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Diabetes Research Institute, and the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis.

About Pathfinder Management, Inc.

Pathfinder Management, Inc., founded in 1995, is a private holding company with a balanced portfolio of subsidiaries, equity positions and investments in mature and emerging markets; companies targeting government and corporate customers as well as consumers; and companies selling B2B (Business to Business) as well as B2C (Business to Consumer).

PMI specializes in both branded and private labeled goods. We focus on acquiring and commercializing leading-edge technologies and bringing novel products to the market place. We work with a wide network of partners during the product life cycle, from lab bench technology acquisition through product displacement/retirement. By including patented ingredients or otherwise patent-protected or trade-secret protected technologies, our products achieve significant competitive differentiation.

Pathfinder Management, Inc.

CONTACT: Lan Strickland of Pathfinder Management, Inc., +1-615-872-1700,or lstrickland@pathfinder-management.com ; or Jeanne Antol Krull of Universityof Miami Leonard Miller School of Medicine, +1-305-243-4853, orjkrull@miami.edu

Web site: http://www.pathfinder-management.com/

Source: PRNewswire

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