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[WELCOME]
Mission
Statement
To identify, validate and commercialize protein
targets for the development of therapeutics and
diagnostics in cardiovascular disease through the
application of proteomics.
Cardiomics Inc. is a company founded by Drs. Jennifer
Van Eyk and Geoffrey Flynn, two investigators at Queen’s
University, and PARTEQ Innovations, the technology transfer
arm of Queen’s University. The founding scientists
are world leaders in the fields of analytical protein
chemistry, biochemistry and physiology. Analytical protein
chemistry forms the bedrock of proteomics - a discipline
devoted to identifying the entire protein complement
of a cell/tissue. Proteomics is an emerging drug discovery
tool and is being used to compare healthy tissue with
diseased tissue to identify proteins responsible for
disease initiation and progression. Utilizing its expertise
in animal physiology, Cardiomics has developed a unique
swine model of heart failure that faithfully represents
the initiation and development of heart failure in humans.
Cardiomics is currently applying proteomics in this
model to identify protein changes during heart failure.
Heart failure is a condition which affects approximately
5 million people in the United States with 400,000 new
cases diagnosed each year. Heart failure is caused by
a weakening of the heart such that it is no longer able
to pump blood through the body. Currently, treatment
of heart failure involves management of the symptoms
of heart failure but not the underlying cause. Unfortunately,
symptomatic management of the disease is unsuccessful
and 50% of all patients die within five years of the
diagnosis of heart failure.
Preventing heart failure, or curing people who have
developed heart failure, requires the identification
of which proteins within the cells of the heart are
damaged in heart failure. Once discovered, these proteins
may be used for diagnostic purposes allowing early intervention
and as target(s) for the development of therapeutics.
There are a number of large multinational pharmaceutical
companies who are anxious to exploit the opportunity
that heart failure represents. Unfortunately, these
companies are thwarted by the absence of a validated
disease target at which to intervene.
Cardiomics will capitalize on this opportunity by not
only identifying protein targets in heart failure, but
also validating these targets. Licensing of validated
targets to large pharmaceutical companies in return
for collaborative research agreements, up-front and
milestone payments, and royalties on the sale of therapeutics
and diagnostics will result in a significant short-term
return for Cardiomics.
n the future, Cardiomics will use proteomics to identify
and validate proteins targets for the development of
therapeutics or diagnostics in acute ischemia (heart
attack) and to identify cardioprotective proteins. Cardiomics
also has plans to develop a proprietary database of
protein targets and protein-protein interactions in
cardiac disease. This database will be made available
to large pharmaceutical companies for use in their in-house
discovery efforts. Cardiomics anticipates receiving
revenue in the form of royalties and milestone payments
from diagnostic and therapeutics developed through the
use of the database.
Cardiomics has developed a number of proprietary sample
handling and separation technologies and identified
several novel protein changes in heart failure for which
it is has applied for patent protection. One of these
protein markers is currently being assessed in the clinic
as an early marker for the diagnosis of myocardial infarction.
In the future, Cardiomics will file additional patents
to protect any new sample preparation, handling and
protein separation technologies it develops as well
as any protein targets that are discovered.
For the next year, Cardiomics will identify protein
changes in a swine model of heart failure and validate
the utility of these proteins as targets for intervention
in humans. The company will operate in a virtual mode
with research being conducted on a contract basis within
the laboratories of the founding scientists. PARTEQ
Innovations, the technology transfer arm of Queen’s
University, will assist the company with administrative
and business development activities.
Cardiomics is now looking for a second round of financing
and Dr. Geoff Flynn has recently taken the position
of part-time CEO of Cardiomics to lead this process.
The new capital will be used to hire staff, obtain equipment,
carry out the research plan, further develop the intellectual
property base through the identification of novel proteins
in heart failure and expand the scientific platform
to include other cardiovascular diseases such as heart
failure and ischemia. Licensing these targets to pharmaceutical
companies will add significant value to the company
and make it a promising candidate for merger or acquisition
by pharmaceutical and biotech companies interested in
using proteomics as a drug discovery tool in cardiovascular
disease.
For further information please contact:
Dr. T. Geoffrey Flynn, President and CEO
Cardiomics Inc.
1625 Biosciences Complex
Queen’s University
Kingston, ON K7L 3N6
Tel: 613.533.6548 or 613.533.2342
Fax: 613.533.6853
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