(BW) (KOSAN-BIOSCIENCES) SBIR to Pursue Antifungal Analog Library Business Wire
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(BW) (KOSAN-BIOSCIENCES) SBIR to Pursue Antifungal Analog Library

BUSINESS WIRE - 44 Montgomery St, 39th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94104; Tel: (415) 986-4422; FAX: (415) 788-5335 - Wednesday, 16 July 1997.


BURLINGAME, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--July 16, 1997--KOSAN Biosciences Inc., a biotechnology company based in Burlingame, announced today that it has received a Phase I Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to pursue research in Combinatorial Biosynthesis of drugs to be used in treatment of fungal secondary infections associated with AIDS and cancer.

The grant, entitled, "Antifungal Analog Library," will enable KOSAN researchers to pursue research on the design and development of new analogs of candicidin and its close relative FR-008 which are potent antifungal agents.

Through genetic engineering of the candicidin/FR-008 biosynthetic pathway, KOSAN will produce analogs that would be difficult or impossible to obtain by chemical synthesis. In particular, efforts will be directed toward engineering molecules with less severe side effects than current therapies.

KOSAN Biosciences is a leading company in the area of Combinatorial Biosynthesis of polyketides. Polyketides are a well known class of natural products that have yielded numerous important antibiotics, anti-cancer agents, immunosuppressants, cholesterol-lowering agents and others.

KOSAN's proprietary technology enables the genetic manipulation of biosynthetic pathways of polyketides and the production of novel "unnatural natural products."

KOSAN is a privately-held company with investments from Alta Partners, Chiron Corp., Walden and Soffinova.

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CONTACT: KOSAN Biosciences Inc. Joana Voglino, 415/343-8673 x206

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Keywords: CALIFORNIA BIOTECHNOLOGY PHARMACEUTICAL MEDICINE

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