BETHESDA, Md., June 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Spherix Incorporated
(NASDAQ: SPEXD) — an innovator in biotechnology for therapy in
diabetes, metabolic syndrome and atherosclerosis, and providers of
technical and regulatory consulting services to food, supplement,
biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies — today announced that
its drug candidate, SPX-106, achieved statistically significant
reductions in triglycerides and cholesterol when administered in
combination with D-tagatose for nine weeks to genetically
engineered mice prone to dyslipidemia.
SPX-106 is one of five small molecules licensed by Spherix last
year. In early 2011, Spherix initiated the preclinical
development of SPX-106 and D-tagatose as a treatment for
hypertriglyceridemia. In the recently completed study,
treatment of animals using combination therapy with twice-daily
oral dosing significantly reduced triglycerides by 43 mg/dl
compared with control animals with a mean triglyceride level of 118
mg/dl (p=0.01). The same therapy significantly reduced total
cholesterol by 73 mg/dl from a mean level of 378 mg/dl compared
with control animals (p=0.01).
SPX-106 is in preclinical development in combination with other
agents, including D-tagatose, for the prevention and treatment of
atherosclerosis, hypertriglyceridemia and related dyslipidemias.
The Company has initiated development of SPX-106 and
D-tagatose as a treatment for hypertriglyceridemia, and plans to
start an initial human efficacy study in the fourth quarter of 2011
or the first quarter of 2012.
“Spherix has toxicology, preclinical, clinical and other studies
underway, and the findings of this preclinical study advance our
understanding of the effects of SPX-106 and D-tagatose on
triglycerides and cholesterol,” said Dr. Claire Kruger, Chief
Executive Officer of Spherix. “The market for triglyceride-lowering
drugs exceeds $3 billion annually in the U.S. alone, and we believe
that, should our stud
‘/>”/>
