Arrowhead Research Subsidiary Founding Scientist, Dr. Mark E. Davis, Elected to the National Academy of Sciences
PASADENA, California – (BUSINESS WIRE) – May 5, 2006 – Arrowhead Research Corporation (Nasdaq:ARWR), announced that Dr. Mark E. Davis, professor of chemical engineering at the California Institute of Technology, and founding scientist of Arrowhead subsidiaries Insert Therapeutics and Calando Pharmaceuticals, was elected to the National Academy of Sciences. Already a member of the National Academy of Engineering, Dr. Davis is one of a few who hold both honors.
"Arrowhead is proud to congratulate Mark on this well-earned honor," said R. Bruce Stewart, Chairman, Arrowhead Research Corporation. "His work on therapeutic molecules and drug delivery has the potential to provide much improved treatments for a variety of devastating diseases, particularly cancer. His leadership at Insert and Calando has enabled each company to make tremendous progress toward bringing this technology to the clinic."
Dr. Davis led the research team at Caltech that developed Cyclosert™, a proprietary drug delivery platform technology exclusively licensed to Insert. The system is based on a nano-engineered class of linear cyclodextrin-containing polymers, designed to enable the manipulation of particle size and other characteristics to improve drug properties and performance. Insert expects to begin clinical trials with its lead anti-cancer compound, IT-101™, at the City of Hope Cancer Center shortly and is developing several other drug candidates.
At Calando, Dr. Davis is focusing his efforts on the development of RNAi therapeutics based on cyclodextrin-containing polycations, which aid in the delivery of the nucleic acid. Studies using Calando's proprietary technology have shown that a cyclodextrin-containing polycation delivery system can be used with RNA interference molecules to inhibit genes in cancer cells in animals, producing potent anticancer effects.
Dr. Davis is the Warren and Katharine Schlinger Professor of Chemical Engineering at the California Institute of Technology and a member of the Experimental Therapeutics Program of the Cancer Center at the City of Hope. For his work in rationally designed materials, Dr. Davis is also the recipient of other prestigious awards, including the National Science Foundation's Alan T. Waterman Award -- awarded annually to only one scientist in the United States across all disciplines. He holds over 35 patents, has published more than 350 papers and has presented over 500 seminars throughout the world.
About Arrowhead Research Corporation
Arrowhead Research Corporation (www.arrowheadresearch.com) is a publicly-traded nanotechnology company commercializing new technologies in the areas of life sciences, electronics, and energy. Arrowhead is building value for shareholders through the progress of majority owned subsidiaries founded on nanotechnologies originally developed at universities. The company works closely with universities to source early stage deals and to generate rights to intellectual property covering promising new nanotechnologies. Currently, Arrowhead has four subsidiaries commercializing nanotech products and applications, including anti-cancer drugs, RNAi therapeutics, carbon-based electronics and compound semiconductor materials.
About Insert Therapeutics, Inc.
Insert Therapeutics, Inc. (www.insertt.com), a majority-owned subsidiary of Arrowhead Research Corporation (NASDAQ:ARWR), is using its proprietary, nano-engineered, polymeric delivery system, Cyclosert™, to design, develop and commercialize drug-delivery-enhanced small-molecule therapeutics and nucleic acids. Cyclosert uses cyclodextrins as building blocks to create an entirely new class of biocompatible materials - linear cyclodextrin-containing polymers that are non-toxic and non-immunogenic at therapeutic doses. Insert’s affiliate company, Calando Pharmaceuticals, is using a related system for the systemic delivery of siRNA. The companies are pursuing this goal through internal research and development, and also through collaborations and partnerships with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
About Calando Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Calando Pharmaceuticals Inc. (www.calandopharma.com) is using its proprietary technologies in targeted polymeric delivery systems and siRNA design to design and create new, targeted siRNA therapeutics. Small interfering RNAs (siRNA) induce RNA interference, or RNAi, a naturally occurring mechanism within cells to selectively silence and regulate specific genes. The ability to silence genes through RNAi could provide a new way to treat a wide range of human diseases. The company is pursuing this goal through its internal research and development and also through collaborations and partnerships with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
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Contacts
Virginia Dadey; Vice President, Investor Relations
Telephone: 212.541.3707
Email: vdadey@arrowres.com