Longevity’s the name of the game

LAS VEGAS—Zhittya Genesis Medicine, Inc. has just signed a $151.5 million international marketing partnership agreement with Regenerative Medicine of Latin America, Inc. for the exclusive rights to market and sell all biological drugs developed by Zhittya for 30 years. The payments include an initial upfront payment valued at $76.5 million, with the additional $75 million to be paid through future milestone payments.

“Our portfolio of drugs seeks to address diseases which directly cause the suffering and even death of over 50% of all adults,” said Daniel C. Montano, Zhittya’s chief executive officer. “In addition to the territories covered by our existing partnerships in North America, Europe and China, Latin America is particularly impacted by heart disease due to a variety of health and environmental concerns in the region. This agreement with Regenerative Medicine of Latin America is another major step forward to treating heart disease in Latin America and globally. Going forward, we believe we are on the path to a number of other major medical breakthroughs to address even more diseases caused by a lack of blood perfusion.”

Zhittya is developing a family of biological drugs to treat diseases characterized by diminished perfusion to specific tissues or organs. The drugs are intended to address a variety of disorders and diseases, including coronary heart disease; diabetic foot ulcers; stroke recovery; Parkinson’s disease; Alzheimer’s disease; and 14 additional major medical disorders characterized by insufficient blood perfusion.

In a U.S. Food and Drug Administration clinical trial, Zhittya’s heart-specific drug treatment demonstrated a successful triggering of new blood vessel growth in a diseased heart. According to a 2017 report by the World Health Organization, an estimated 20 million people suffer from heart disorders in Latin America alone, 80% of which suffer from a particularly notorious form called small vessel disease. This is a disease that reportedly only Zhittya’s drug has been able to address, because the standard forms of treatment for coronary artery disease — including bypass and stenting procedures — can only be performed on larger arteries.

“Our drug currently being developed to treat Parkinson’s disease has demonstrated encouraging results with impressive outcomes in preclinical models of Parkinson’s disease in rodents and primates. This drug has the potential to be a ‘disease modifying’ agent; in preclinical studies it was shown to reverse the decline and actually stimulate the regeneration of dopamine-producing neurons, the root cause of Parkinson’s disease in patients,” stated Dr. Jack Jacobs, president of Zhittya Genesis Medicine. “According to a recent report from the Cleveland Clinic, the incidence rate of Parkinson’s disease per 100,000 people was highest in Hispanics. We believe our drug can have a tremendous impact in this region, in addition to our existing partnerships both domestically and internationally.”

“We have filed applications and are advancing through the approval process to initiate Phase 1 clinical trials in Mexico for Parkinson’s disease. We are also pursuing a second medical indication for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS),” added Jacobs. “It is our goal to be in a position to begin dosing patients with Parkinson’s disease and ALS by early 2020, which should enable us to learn if our drug has the same beneficial effects in humans as it demonstrated in animals. These clinical trials, that will hopefully begin very soon in Mexico, will drive intense attention and interest to Regenerative Medicine of Latin America.”