SEATTLE and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Achieve Life
Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: ACHV), University of Bristol, and Oracle Corporation (NYSE: ORCL)
today announced the outcome of a study using Oracle's
high-performance cloud infrastructure to potentially improve the
speed of drug discovery and development of new treatments.
The study, "A General Mechanism for Signal Propagation in the
Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Family," was led by
scientists from the University of Bristol and recently published in the
Journal of the American Chemical Society. It aimed to
evaluate how receptors in the brain respond to nicotine.
Researchers utilized new computational simulation methods to
conduct 450 individual assessments of the biochemistry associated
with the binding of nicotine to a subtype of nicotinic
acetylcholine receptors, a key mechanism believed to be responsible
for the highly-addictive nature of nicotine.
Computations that would otherwise have taken months to complete
were achieved in five days using Oracle's high-performance cloud
infrastructure. The speed of results represents a breakthrough in
computational chemistry and is transformational from a research
perspective.
"To understand why nicotine is so addictive, and to develop
molecules to help people quit smoking, we need to understand how
nicotine affects the nervous system," commented Professor
Adrian Mulholland from Bristol's Centre for Computational Chemistry
and co-author of the study. "By harnessing the power of cloud
computing, we can quickly observe how nicotine exerts its effects
at the molecular level. This information can inform future drug
development of new treatments for companies like Achieve."
Achieve Life Sciences has partnered with the University of
Bristol to formulate molecules and
potential treatments to combat addiction and neurological disorders
based on their lead smoking cessation compound in development,
cytisinicline. Building on this research and previously conducted
studies, cloud-based computer simulations can now be utilized to
evaluate the effectiveness of potential new treatments more
efficiently and help to accelerate the pace of discovery.
About Achieve & Cytisinicline
Tobacco use
is currently the leading cause of preventable death and is
responsible for more than eight million deaths annually
worldwide.1 It is estimated that 28.7% of cancer deaths
in the U.S. are attributable to cigarette smoking.2
Achieve's focus is to address the global smoking health epidemic
through the development and commercialization of cytisinicline.
Cytisinicline is a plant-based alkaloid with a high binding
affinity to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. It is believed to
aid in smoking cessation by interacting with nicotine receptors in
the brain by reducing the severity of nicotine withdrawal symptoms
and by reducing the reward and satisfaction associated with
smoking.
As an approved, branded product in Central and Eastern Europe for more than two decades, it
is estimated that over 20 million people have used cytisinicline to
help combat nicotine addiction.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains
forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor"
provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995,
including, but not limited to, statements regarding the timing and
nature of cytisinicline clinical development activities, the
potential market size for cytisinicline, the potential benefits of
cytisinicline, the ability to discover and develop new uses for
cytisinicline and the development and effectiveness of new
treatments. All statements other than statements of historical fact
are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements.
Achieve may not actually achieve its plans or product development
goals in a timely manner, if at all, or otherwise carry out its
intentions or meet its expectations or projections disclosed in
these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on
management's current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a
number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause
actual results to differ materially from those described in the
forward-looking statements, including, among others, the risk that
cytisinicline may not demonstrate the hypothesized or expected
benefits; the risk that Achieve may not be able to obtain
additional financing to fund the development of cytisinicline; the
risk that cytisinicline will not receive regulatory approval or be
successfully commercialized; the risk that new developments in the
smoking cessation landscape require changes in business strategy or
clinical development plans; the risk that Achieve's intellectual
property may not be adequately protected; general business and
economic conditions; and the other factors described in the risk
factors set forth in Achieve's filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission from time to time, including Achieve's Annual
Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Achieve
undertakes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements
contained herein or to reflect events or circumstances occurring
after the date hereof, other than as may be required by applicable
law.
Achieve Contact
Jason
Wong
jwong@bplifescience.com
(415) 375-3340 ext. 4
1World Health Organization. WHO Report on the Global
Tobacco Epidemic, 2019. Geneva:
World Health Organization, 2017
2 Annals of Epidemiology, Volume 25, Issue 3, 179 -
182.e1
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SOURCE Achieve Life Sciences, Inc.