Novelos forms collaboration with Shriners Hospitals to confirm positive NOV-002 data

By Angela McDaniels

Seattle, Nov. 8 - Novelos Therapeutics Inc. said it has formed a collaboration with Shriners Hospitals for Children to confirm the positive findings of previous research into the use of NOV-002 for the treatment of acute radiation injury.

In preclinical experiments conducted in Russia, groups of mice and rats were exposed to lethal doses of radiation. The treatment of animals with NOV-002 resulted in a two- to three-fold increase in 30-day survival compared to the irradiated but untreated control animals, Novelos said.

Also, animals treated with the drug did not experience severe neutropenia (loss of white blood cells used for fighting off infections) and demonstrated significantly higher bone marrow cell counts than control animals.

"In addition to confirming and extending these findings, our research collaboration with Shriners Hospital ... aims to more precisely identify the cellular and molecular actions of NOV-002 that underlie its ability to combat acute radiation injury," said Christopher J. Pazoles, vice president of research and development of Novelos Therapeutics, in a company press releases.

In December 2004, Novelos Therapeutics responded to the Department of Health and Human Services' request for information on therapeutics to treat neutropenia and thrombocytopenia associated with Acute Radiation Syndrome.

Novelos said it expects the department to issue a formal request for proposals in 2006, at which time the company will submit a proposal for treatment of patients with NOV-002.

Shriners Hospitals for Children is a network of pediatric specialty hospitals founded by the Shrine of North America.

Novelos is a biotechnology company based in Newton, Mass.

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