SURFACE LOGIX PRESENTS POSITIVE PHASE 1 TRIAL DATA ON SLx-4090 AT AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION (AHA) ANNUAL MEETING

BOSTON, Mass. (November 14, 2006) – Surface Logix Inc. today announced the presentation of positive data from its first Phase 1 clinical trial assessing the safety and tolerability and establishing the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profile of its investigational drug candidate, SLx-4090, an enterocyte-specific microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP) inhibitor being developed for the treatment of dyslipidemia (abnormal levels of lipids in the bloodstream).  Results were presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2006 conference being held November 12 – 15 in Chicago, Illinois.

During the presentation, Dr. William Prince, Chief Development Officer at Surface Logix, provided details of the SLx-4090 Phase 1 study, a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, four-way cross over study in healthy male volunteers.  In the study, subjects received single oral doses of either SLx-4090 or placebo; nine dose levels were included and subjects were monitored for adverse events.  Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic sampling was performed out to 24 hours post dose to measure plasma lipid and lipoprotein concentrations after dietary consumption.  The initial Phase 1 trial indicated that SLx-4090 was well tolerated, with no serious adverse events reported, and demonstrated a significant impact (>60%) on lowering triglyceride levels compared to placebo.

“It is exciting that this novel compound performed so well in this Phase 1 study,” notes Dr. Prince.  “Consistent with our preclinical results, no drug was detected in the plasma at doses up to 800mg and no adverse events occurred that were distinguishable from placebo.  This is particularly notable, as it has historically been difficult to design an MTP inhibitor that acts selectively in the gastrointestinal tract with no adverse impact on liver or liver function.”

“Based on the results of this study, we have advanced SLx-4090 into a Phase 1b repeat-dose study which will be completed by December, 2006 and initial results are confirming the profile we have seen in our first study,” notes Jim Mahoney, President and Chief Executive Officer of Surface Logix.  ”We will commence Phase 2a studies directed at patients with dyslipidemia complicated by high triglyceride levels early in 2007. Based on the impact of SLx-4090 in lowering LDL–cholesterol and raising HDL-cholesterol in preclinical studies, we strongly believe that a safe, efficacious, enterocyte-specific MTP inhibitor could play a significant role in the marketplace by providing clinicians another route to manage lipid disorders for patients that do not respond to currently available treatment options.”  

Surface Logix is also exploring the use of SLx-4090 in other metabolic disorders, including obesity and diabetes.  

“The SLx-4090 development program continues to validate our Pharmacomer Platform and our ability to take novel approaches to overcome difficult challenges in drug development,” states Paul Sweetnam, Chief Scientific Officer at Surface Logix. “We are very pleased to see that the preclinical development of SLx-4090 has been very robust in predicting the drug candidate’s performance in the clinic.”

About SLx-4090 in Dyslipidemia

SLx-4090 is a novel Microsomal Triglyceride Transfer Protein (MTP) inhibitor being developed for the treatment of dyslipidemia (abnormal levels of lipids in the bloodstream).  Surface Logix designed SLx-4090 using its proprietary small molecule Pharmacomer™ Technology to act specifically in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract to prevent the transport of fats through the intestinal wall.  This unique feature of intestinal selectivity allows activity against fat uptake while avoiding toxicity at other sites of MTP expression including the liver, heart, testis, ovary, and eye.   

Dyslipidemia currently affects approximately 10% of the global population, with 25% of these patients having elevated triglyceride levels.  In addition, there is an increasing prevalence and medical need for lipid-modifying drugs in obese patients and patients with type 2 diabetes, as a high proportion of type 2 diabetic patients have abnormal concentrations of lipoproteins.  In the U.S., Japan and Europe, it is estimated that there are more than 240 million people with abnormal lipoprotein levels.  Of these, more than 55 million are estimated to have low high density lipoprotein (HDL) and/or high triglyceride levels.

About Surface Logix Inc.

Surface Logix Inc. uses its expertise in biophysical chemistry to create new small molecule drugs that are optimized to meet the challenges of human physiology. The company is advancing multiple internal programs focused primarily on cardiovascular, metabolic, inflammatory and fibrotic diseases. For more information, please visit http://www.surfacelogix.com.

Contact:
Warwick Tong
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617.746.8500

Media:
Kari Watson
MacDougall Biomedical Communications Inc.
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