Satellos Bioscience Inc. announced the following updates: AAK1 is the drug target of the Company's lead drug program in Duchenne muscular dystrophy ("Duchenne" or "DMD"); IND-enabling studies and GMP manufacturing are ongoing; SAT-3247 has been nominated as its lead drug candidate; intellectual property applications have been filed to seek protection for the Company's target and small molecule discoveries; and Ms. Courtney Wells has been appointed as Senior Vice President, Clinical Development Operations. Preclinical data generated by Satellos has demonstrated that SAT-3153 and SAT-3247 have a similar capacity to affect stem cell polarity, enhance muscle regeneration, and improve muscle force in the mdx mouse model of Duchenne. SAT-3247 also exhibited improved oral bioavailability, target specificity, and tissue distribution, when compared directly to SAT-3153.

Based on this data, the Company will prioritize SAT-3247 as its lead development candidate to advance into clinical trials with SAT-3153 becoming its back-up candidate. Both small molecule candidates as well as the discovery that AAK1 can be modulated to enable muscle regeneration are covered by patent applications filed by the Company.