FibroGen Recieves Patent for Connective Tissue Growth Factor
CTGF, produced normally by connective tissue cells during development, can lead to fibrotic disorders when overexpressed. Hence, it represents a specific target for the development of anti-fibrotic therapeutics. FibroGen scientists have inhibited CTGF with small molecules and neutralizing antibodies that bind to and block the activities of this cytokine. Using FibroGen's new technology, CTGF can also be useful in diagnosing fibroproliferative disorders as well as in monitoring disease progression and therapy effectiveness.
The inventors on U.S. Patent No. 5,916,756, who also discovered CTGF, are Gary Grotendorst, a professor in the department of cell biology and anatomy at the University of Miami, and FibroGen scientist Douglass Bradham Jr. FibroGen holds the exclusive license to intellectual property related to CTGF and to its use in the development of anti-fibrotic therapeutics. FibroGen's proprietary technologies support ongoing research relating to, for example, the role of CTGF in diabetic nephropathy, hypertension, and other kidney disorders; in angiogenesis and other proliferative processes that play central roles in atherosclerosis, arthritis, and other disease states; and in skin, cardiac, and pulmonary fibrosis.
"In general, severe fibrosis involving kidney, liver, lung, and the cardiovascular system progress without any rapid way to monitor the disorder, " said Thomas B. Neff, CEO and president of FibroGen. "By determining the level of CTGF peptides in human fluids, including urine, blood, and bronchial lavage fluid, physicians may more effectively track fibrotic disorders, which are marked by high levels of tissue scarring that ultimately can lead to a loss of organ function. This technology builds upon FibroGen's commitment to develop new products that address the serious problem of fibrosis. We are encouraged by the continuing progress of our CTGF team as well as the competitive protection afforded to our programs by patents such as this."
FibroGen is a private biotechnology company focusing on the development of novel anti-fibrotic pharmaceuticals and recombinant collagen and gelatin biomaterials.
For more information: FibroGen Inc., 225 Gateway Blvd., South San Francisco, CA 94080. Tel: 650 866-7200. Fax: 650 866-7201.