Isoxazoles are believed to increase insulin production in human pancreas cells no longer able to produce insulin and may represent a new approach to developing treatments for both type 1 and type 2diabetes.
LoneStar Heart president and COO Frank Ahmann said their license with UT Southwestern builds upon previous licensing agreements with broad coverage for the small molecules involved.
"Research at UT Southwestern has shown that, in addition to their potential application to diabetes, they may also modulate the differentiation of stem cells into nerve cells, and they can induce a population of progenitor cells found in the heart to become cardiac muscle cells," Ahmann added.
The terms of the agreement have not been disclosed.