Osteometabolix Pharmaceuticals Inc. (OMX) is a university spin-off company focused on the development, formulation and evaluation of bone-targeting biologics for bone conditions such as Osteoporosis, Paget’s disease, Osteoarthritis and Bone Cancer. OMX is well positioned to enter this market with a new exciting class of compounds based on bone seeking variants of the peptide hormones, which utilize covalently attached bisphosphonate moieties to provide significantly higher affinity for bone (note that the BP moieties are proven not to be involved in the therapeutic action, and serve to guide delivery of peptide hormones preferentially to bone).
OMX’s patent-protected lead product, bisphosphonate conjugated Calcitonin (BP-CT), has been shown to significantly outperform current commercial formulations of Calcitonin in a preclinical rat model of Osteoporosis, whilst further reducing the major side effects associated with current monotherapy of either bisphosphonate or Calcitonin drugs alone. Accordingly, OMX are seeking a strategic co-development partnership for Lead Optimization of BP-CT to First Time in Human (FTIH) evaluation of their unique bone targeted therapy for bone disease.
OMX has further developed “State of the Art” diagnostic capabilities for measuring bone turnover, that are required to validate its novel therapies. OMX is offering those unique advanced bone mass/mineral density imaging and bone toxicology assays on a fee-for-service basis, and they include:
1. High Resolution Micro-Computed Tomography Imaging of Bone and Advanced Materials: the non-invasive quantification of bone and mineral adaptations after pharmaceutical, orthopaedic, orthodontic, biomedical intervention and industry opportunities with advanced materials.
2. In vitro Bone Toxicology / High-Throughput Cell Culture Assays: advanced osteoclast and osteoblast culture systems for bone cell assay under GLP conditions to test novel drug or environmental chemical compounds for effects on bone cell stimulation, inhibition, and/or toxicity.