SEATTLE, Sept. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Omeros Corporation
(NASDAQ:
OMER) today reported that it has identified compounds that
interact selectively with each of four additional orphan G
protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) – GPR15, GPR39, GPR78 and
GPR161. Omeros has now announced that it has unlocked 14 of the 80
Class A orphan GPCRs. GPCRs represent the premier family of drug
targets, with more than 30 percent of currently marketed drugs
targeting only 46 GPCRs. There are approximately 120 orphan GPCRs,
and Omeros, which expects to unlock a large percentage of these for
drug development, is initially targeting Class A orphan GPCRs.
The four unlocked orphan receptors announced today are linked to
a wide range of indications and present multiple new opportunities
for drug development by the pharmaceutical industry. GPR15 has been
associated with rheumatoid arthritis and HIV-mediated enteropathy,
a chronic intestinal illness in HIV-infected patients. GPR39 has
been implicated in the pathogenesis of obesity-related type-2
diabetes and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, the most prevalent
esophageal cancer worldwide. GPR78 has been linked to bipolar
affective disorder and schizophrenia, and GPR161 has been tied to
congenital cataracts and birth defects of the brain and spinal
cord.
“These discoveries further validate our proprietary technology
and underscore our unique ability to open to the pharmaceutical
industry previously inaccessible targets for drug development,”
said Gregory A. Demopulos, M.D., chairman and chief executive
officer of Omeros. “Each of these receptors is linked to severe
medical disorders, and our success enables the design of novel
compounds that could result in new and more effective therapies for
patients that need them.”
Ongoing GPCR Program
Omeros has begun screening orphan GPCRs against its
small-molecule chemica
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