BackgroundHypoxyprobe, Inc. is a small company dedicated to providing tools for the diagnosis and treatment of malignant and normal tissue diseases in which oxygen regulation is disturbed. The company is located at 121 Middlesex Turnpike, Burlington, Massachusetts, USA 01803 and is a spin-off of the Hypoxyprobe Division of Natural Pharmacia International, Inc. (NPI).
Hypoxyprobe, Inc. arose from a collaboration between Dr. James Raleigh in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and NPI which at the time was located in the Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.
The collaboration between UNC Chapel Hill and NPI at first focused on clinical studies of tumor hypoxia. NPI manufactured pimonidazole HCl on a large scale and Dr. Raleigh provided patented antibody reagents for detecting the binding of pimonidazole to hypoxic cells in human tumors.
Preclinical studies in dogs, rats and mice generated a growing interest among the scientific community in pimonidazole HCl as a hypoxia marker in general and in 2002 NPI issued a five-year exclusive license to Chemicon International to market a limited line of Hypoxyprobe reagents for animal use. In 2006, anticipating a need for an expanded line of Hypoxyprobe reagents, NPI ended Chemicon’s license and established Hypoxyprobe, Inc. to develop an enhanced line of reagents for both animal and clinical studies.
The Company is now focused on developing non-invasive hypoxia markers and hypoxia dependent cytotoxins based on the pimonidazole core structure.
FacilitiesHypoxyprobe, Inc is a modern facility for the preparation of new and existing hypoxia markers; for the handling of antibody reagents; and, for the assembly and distribution of Hypoxyprobe Kits. Strategic alliances extend the scope of Hypoxyprobe’s activities into areas such as new antibody development and non-invasive imaging.
Senior PersonnelPresident. Ms. Tina Lee, BA, is President of the company and manages day-to-day operations taking special responsibility for accounting and sales.
| Phone Number: |
781-272-6888; 781-272-8488 |
| FAX Number: |
781-272-9288 |
| Email: |
tlee@natural-pharma.com |
Vice President, Research and Development. James A. Raleigh, BSc, MSc, PhD trained as a Natural Products chemist at the University of British Columbia and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 1968, he became interested in the role of chemistry in improving radiation therapy. Tumor hypoxia was considered a negative factor and in 1986 while employed at the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton, Canada, Dr. Raleigh invented and patented an immunochemical technique for detecting tissue hypoxia. In 1988, Dr. Raleigh joined the Department of Radiation Oncology in the School of Medicine at UNC Chapel with the express purpose of translating Hypoxyprobe immunohistochemical hypoxia marker technology to the clinic. Dr. Raleigh retired from UNC Chapel Hill in 2006 and joined Hypoxyprobe, Inc. as Vice President for Research and Development. He is available to answer technical questions about Hypoxyprobe products and applications.
| Phone Number: |
919-260-6398 |
| FAX Number: |
919-933-9216 |
| Email: |
lowpo2@yahoo.com |
Senior Scientist. Xiaoshen Ji, BS, MS, PhD trained as a Natural Products and Medicinal Chemist at Beijing Institute of Medicinal Chemistry and at the Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College. Dr. Ji, is skilled in organic synthesis and structural analysis. He has carried out 2-nitroimidazole hypoxia marker syntheses on both small and large scales. He synthesized the first PET reagent in the pimonidazole series (1[2-fluoro-3-(2-nitroimidazol-1-yl)propyl) piperidine) and worked out the mechanism of rearrangement that occurred during the process of its fluorination. He and Dr. Raleigh have worked closely since 2002 in the development of new hypoxia markers.
| Phone Number: |
781-272-6888 |
| FAX Number: |
781-272-9288 |
| Email: |
jixsh@yahoo.com |
Consultant. David Y-W. Lee, BS, MS, PhD trained in Pharmacy and Natural Products Chemistry at Columbia University. He is currently Associate Professor and Director of the Bio-Organic and Natural Products Laboratory at the Mailman Research Center, McLean Hospital which is affiliated with Harvard Medical School. Dr. Lee has been involved for more than 30 years in the discovery and development of bioactive compounds derived from natural products. His laboratory recently isolated a potent topoisomerase I inhibitor from Boswellia caterii -- a folk medicine used in the treatment of inflammatory diseases -- and has been awarded an international patent for this compound. Dr. Lee and his group isolated and characterized a number of compounds for suppression of alcohol drinking that are in clinical testing in the US. His collaboration with Dr. Raleigh over more than 20 years on immunohistochemical hypoxia markers has resulted in 2 patents; commercialization of the preclinical market; and, widespread clinical use of pimonidazole HCl as an Investigational New Drug in both intravenous and oral formulations. Dr. Lee’s business acumen and knowledge of translational medicinal chemistry makes him an invaluable consultant in the further development of 2-nitroimidazole hypoxia markers and cytotoxins.