Briefs

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 2, 2002--Molecular Mining Corporation (MMC) announced today a collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline Inc. (GSK) to analyze gene expression data in order to learn more about mechanisms underlying bone formation. This research may enable improvement in the treatment of patients whose bones become weaker with age.

Weakening of the bones (osteoporosis) in the elderly, particularly in women, affects more than 20 million people in North America annually, while the costs of osteoporosis-implicated fractures are estimated at over $20 billion per year in the USA alone.

Researchers at GSK are investigating the effect of various treatments on cells related to bone growth. The study involves analysis of gene expression over time in bone tissues containing different cell types that have been subjected to treatments known to stimulate bone formation.

"This work is the data-mining challenge that Molecular Mining thrives on", explained Dr. Roland Somogyi, CSO at Molecular Mining. "There is an enormous number of gene/time point combinations that may predict response. Since exhaustive computational search of these combinations is impractical or impossible, we will use MMC's proprietary association mining and reverse engineering platform to unravel and look deeply into these patterns."

For additional information, visit www.molecularmining.com.