S*BIO links with Tan Tock to evaluate SB1518

Privately-held Singaporean biotechnology firm S*BIO Pte says that it has signed a collaboration agreement with Tan Tock Seng Hospital in  Singapore, to evaluate the effects of its JAK2 inhibitor, SB1518, on  biological samples from patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms.

S*BIO scientists will work closely with TTSH investigators to evaluate  the potential therapeutic effects of SB1518 on diseased blood cells  isolated from patients with MPN, and to validate the utility of novel  biomarker assays with these patient samples. The cellular response to  drug treatment will be monitored in terms of general viability, specific  apoptotic response and biomarker changes and JAK2 mutational status. A  total of 50 patient samples will be collected for the study, through to  the first quarter of 2009, the company notes.

SB1518 is a small-molecule, JAK2-selective kinase inhibitor which has  high potency against both the wild-type JAK2 kinase and that with with  the V617F mutation. The V617F mutation is found in high frequencies in  various myeloproliferative disorders such as idiopathic myelofibrosis.  SB1518 might also provide an effective treatment for other hematological  malignancies with mutations and re-arrangements in the JAK2 gene, the  company explains.