The United States Army Medical Research & Materiel Command (USAMRMC) has granted another year to Lexicon Genetics Incorporated (Nasdaq: LEXG) to continue its research program to identify targets that may be important in the development of drugs in the prevention and treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a neurodegenerative disorder and the leading genetic cause of death in early childhood.
The said research program had been initiated under a $2.0 million awarded to Lexicon. Now Lexicon will receive $2.5 million in funding for the one-year extension of the grant's term.
According to Brian P. Zambrowicz, Ph.D., executive vice president of research at Lexicon:
"We believe our target discovery system uniquely positions us to find genes that may be relevant to the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy and other neurodegenerative diseases. The continued support of the Army is critical to success in this important area of drug discovery research."
Currently, the SMA Foundation estimates an over 50,000 SMA sufferers in the United States, Europe and Japan. Caused by progressive degeneration of nerve cells in the spinal cord, SMA (spinal muscular atrophy) is a genetic, motor-neuron disease characterized by the wasting of skeletal muscles which leads to increasing muscular weakness and atrophy and premature death due to respiratory problems.
Research and therepaeutics development on SMA can also be applied to other neurodegenerative diseases, like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as Lou Gehrig's disease) and Alzheimer's disease, and may have other military relevance.
Lexicon has a standing agreement with the SMA Foundation for the potential development of drugs based on discoveries resulting from teh abovementioned program.
Source: Lexicon-Genetics Press Release
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