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Ezose Sciences Receives Grant from Michael J. Fox Foundation to Use GlycanMap® Technology in Parkinson's ResearchPINE BROOK, N.J. --(Business Wire)-- Ezose Sciences Inc. today announced that it has received a grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research to apply Ezose's GlycanMap® technology to investigating the role of the sugars known as glycans in Parkinson's disease. Ezose's GlycanMap® technology enables automated analysis of glycans, which attach to proteins in the body and affect their biochemical function. The speed, scope, and quantitative power of this technology hold the potential for discovering novel glycan changes associated with altered protein function during the onset and progression of wide-ranging diseases, including Parkinson's disease and other neurological disorders. Glycans could serve as novel biomarkers for guiding clinical management and drug development and provide insight into disease mechanism and novel drug targets. The research funded by the foundation will be performed in Ezose's laboratories, where the GlycanMap® assay will be used to compare glycan profiles in brain-stem tissue from rat models of Parkinson's disease and control rats over time and with respect to development of symptoms. "The Michael J. Fox Foundation has brought a tireless sense of urgency to advancing research into Parkinson's disease," said Ryuichi Kiyama, Ph.D., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ezose. "We look forward to bringing that spirit as well as our technical capabilities to this novel research project." Mark Frasier, Ph.D., Vice President of Research Programs at The Michael J. Fox Foundation, commented: "Two important steps toward the development of a disease-modifying therapy for Parkinson's are greater understanding of the underlying pathology of the disease and validation of a reliable biomarker. Ezose's glycan analysis offers a new approach to serve those goals and bring us closer to a Parkinson's cure." About Parkinson's Disease Parkinson's disease is a chronic, degenerative, neurological disorder that ffects at least one million people in the United States alone. Motor symptoms include physical rigidity, slowness of movement, and tremors in resting limbs. Non-motor symptoms include cognitive impairment, mood disorders, and loss of the sense of smell. The range and severity of symptoms vary widely among individuals. About Glycomics Glycomics is the study of glycans, the sugar chains that during the biochemical process known as glycosylation become attached to many proteins expressed by human cells. The particular glycans involved may crucially determine the function of the resulting glycoprotein and its role in health and disease. Glycomics is a natural complement to genomics and proteomics, but it has traditionally been hindered by the lack of practical high-throughput and quantitative technologies. Ezose's proprietary GlycanMap® platform addresses this need by combining, in an automated 96-well format, high-throughput glycan enrichment with specialized MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and custom bioinformatics to both structurally identify and quantitate glycans present in complex biological samples. Such glycans can serve as novel biomarkers to aid in the development of drugs, vaccines, and diagnostic tests, including companion diagnostics. In addition, glycomics holds potential for uncovering new therapeutic targets and mechanisms and for guiding the development and manufacture of glycosylated biologics and biosimilars. About Ezose Ezose (pronounced a-zose) Sciences Inc., based in Pine Brook, NJ, is dedicated to advancing glycomics to improve scientific understanding and healthcare. Ezose's proprietary GlycanMap® technology platform brings a new dimension to biomarker discovery by enabling glycomics research on a scale comparable to that of genomics and proteomics. Ezose offers glycomics capabilities ranging from glycan analytics and biomarker discovery to diagnostic development and commercialization. The company tailors these capabilities to the needs of corporate partners under collaborative R&D and analytical-services agreements. Established in 2009 as a US company, Ezose is an affiliate of the Diagnostics Division of Shionogi & Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan. For more information, visit www.ezose.com. Forward Looking Statements This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are based on expectations in light of the information currently available, assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from these statements. Risks and uncertainties include general domestic and international economic conditions such as general industry and market conditions, and changes of interest rate and currency exchange rate. These risks and uncertainties particularly apply with respect to product-related forward-looking statements. Product risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, completion and discontinuation of clinical trials; obtaining regulatory approvals; claims and concerns about product safety and efficacy; technological advances; adverse outcome of important litigation; domestic and foreign healthcare reforms and changes of laws and regulations. Also for existing products, there are manufacturing and marketing risks, which include, but are not limited to, inability to build production capacity to meet demand, unavailability of raw materials and entry of competitive products. The company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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