BIRMINGHAM., Ala. – Southern Research Institute, a not-for-profit organization that conducts basic and applied research in the areas of preclinical drug discovery and drug development today announced that its scientists will be delivering 13 poster presentations at the AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011, April 2-6, in Orlando, Fla. Southern Research will also be available to meet with scientists at Booth #543.

Southern Research has discovered more than 20 anti-cancer drugs which have been accepted into clinical trials. Of those, seven have received FDA-approval, with six additional drugs currently in late stage preclinical and early clinical trials. Further, Southern Research has evaluated 50 percent of all other FDA-approved cancer drugs on the market. Contract research services include basic research and target identification, lead discovery and optimization, preclinical development and clinical trials support.

Southern Research scientists will present new preclinical data posters in the Exhibit Hall:

Sunday April 3, 2011

1:00pm – 5:00pm

#837: Novel sulindac derivatives that inhibit colon cancer growth by a cyclooxygenase-independent mechanism involving PDE5 inhibition and the suppression of nuclear ?-catenin levels (Exhibit Hall A4-C, Poster Section 34)

Monday April 4, 2011

8:00am – 12:00pm

#1053: Mouse Kremen 1 negatively regulates Wnt/?-catenin signaling in human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells (Exhibit Hall A4-C, Poster Section 3)

#1853: PDE5 suppression selectively induces apoptosis of human breast tumor cells and attenuates Wnt/?-catenin mediated transcription (Exhibit Hall A4-C, Poster Section 34)

#1865: Colon cancer chemopreventive properties of a non-cyclooxygenase inhibitory amide derivative of sulindac (Exhibit Hall A4-C, Poster Section 34)

1:00pm – 5:00pm

#2537: Novel 2′-deoxycytidine analogs as DNA demethylation agents (Exhibit Hall A4-C, Poster Section 26)

Tuesday April 5, 2011

8:00am – 12:00pm

#3114: Effects of tumor-stromal interactions on gene expression in panel of mouse tumor models (Exhibit Hall A4-C, Poster Section 11)

#3707: Sulindac sulfide inhibits growth and induces apoptosis of human colon tumor cells by a cGMP-dependent pathway leading to suppression of ?-catenin transcription activity (Exhibit Hall A4-C, Poster Section 34)

1:00pm – 5:00pm

#4418: Affymetrix whole genome microarray analysis of 24 human tumor xenograft models and the cell lines from which they were developed: Clustering of targets vs tumor tissue of origin (Exhibit Hall A4-C, Poster Section 24)

#4265: Bithionol as an inhibitor of tumor angiogenesis (Exhibit Hall A4-C, Poster Section 18)

#3943: Affymetrix whole genome microarray analysis of 51 human tumor cell lines representative of 16 different tissues of origin: Unsupervised hierarchical clustering (Exhibit Hall A4-C, Poster Section 6)

#4610: NO-NSAIDs inhibit colon tumor cell growth by a cGMP-independent mechanism (Exhibit Hall A4-C, Poster Section 33)

Wednesday April 6, 2011

8:00am – 12:00pm

#5443: A novel biosensor for monitoring intracellular cGMP in live cells (Exhibit Hall A4-C, Poster Section 29)

#5154: Serotonin signaling as a novel target of tumor angiogenesis (Exhibit Hall A4-C, Poster Section 18)

Southern Research will also have members of its new preclinical, non-invasive imaging team at Booth #543 on hand to discuss this new service.

About Southern Research

Southern Research Institute, founded in 1941, is an independent non-profit organization conducting basic and applied research and development. More than 530 employees support commercial and government clients and partners in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, defense, aerospace, environmental and energy sectors through technology out-licensing, sponsored research, and strategic collaborations. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., Southern Research has facilities in Wilsonville, Ala., Frederick, Md., and Durham, NC and offices in Huntsville, Ala., New Orleans, La., Washington, DC and Kiev, Ukraine.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – PNP Therapeutics, Inc.-an early-stage Birmingham-based biopharmaceutical company created from research conducted at Southern Research Institute and The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)-today announced that several major objectives have been reached in the development of its therapeutic technology platform and proprietary products for the treatment of cancer.

“A number of important regulatory and financial efforts came to fruition, enabling PNP Therapeutics to begin a crucial phase in product development,” said Frank R. Hunt, chief executive officer of PNP Therapeutics, Inc. “We are delighted that we accomplished these goals so we can continue moving our technology products forward.”

According to Hunt, those objectives included:

• Receiving FDA approval of its Investigational New Drug (IND) application which will now allow PNP to conduct its first-in-man studies,
• Signing an agreement with UAB to conduct clinical trials at its Comprehensive Cancer Center,
• Enrolling and treating the first clinical trials patient,
• Closing on a second round of funding worth $1,217,635 from its original investors,
• Gaining a commitment from Southern Research Institute to become a direct investor in the company; and,
• Being awarded a $245,000 grant from the federal government as part of its Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project.

At the center of PNP’s Therapeutic System is a patented enzyme (E. coli purine nucleoside phosphorylase) which has been shown to work with a variety of well-characterized nucleoside prodrugs generating active metabolites with high levels of anti-tumor activity. PNP Therapeutics is the exclusive licensee of a comprehensive collection of patents that broadly and specifically cover the Company’s technology. These patents are owned jointly by the University of Alabama at Birmingham Research Foundation and Southern Research Institute of Birmingham.

Many common cancers can become untreatable despite the best medical intervention and the highest standard of care; some are eventually fatal. Compounds that could kill tumors are typically much too toxic to administer systemically to an already debilitated cancer patient.

PNP’s therapeutic strategy is based on the notion that solid tumors can be programmed to generate their own chemotherapy, causing their own self-destruction. This selectivity is achieved by producing the PNP enzyme directly within the tumor cells and facilitating the interaction between the enzyme and a circulating prodrug in a relatively enclosed environment-the tumor mass itself.

“We have shown that this mode of chemotherapeutic action is remarkably potent, abolishes otherwise refractory human cancers, and can be used safely because it is executed and confined within the tumor mass,” said Hunt.

Persons interested in learning more about this PNP Therapeutics clinical trial can access the information at www.ClinicalTrials.gov.

About PNP Therapeutics

PNP Therapeutics^®, Inc. is an early-stage, biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development of a platform technology and proprietary products for the treatment of cancer. www.pnptherapeutics.com. To learn more, please contact Frank Hunt at frankrhunt@aol.com or call 706-636-3049.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Southern Research Institute today announced the passing of W. Blaine Knight, Ph.D. on Saturday, November 20, following a lengthy illness. Blaine, 55, had served as Vice President of the Drug Discovery Division at Southern Research since January 2008.

“I hope the Southern Research family will join me in thinking of and praying for Blaine’s family during this extremely difficult time,” said Dr. John A. “Jack” Secrist, III, president and CEO of Southern Research, in a note to employees. “We are grateful for Blaine’s leadership and admire his courage and tenacity in fighting this illness. His contributions to Southern Research were meaningful to us all, and we will certainly miss his insight on our senior leadership team.”

Visitation will be held in North Carolina on Wednesday, November 24 at Clements Funeral Home in Durham, followed by a graveside service in Maplewood Cemetery. Blaine is survived by his wife, Tracey L. Hauth-Knight, and two young daughters, Dallas and Meghan.

For now, Dr. Secrist will handle the day-to-day leadership of the Drug Discovery Division.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Southern Research Institute today announced that it is acquiring the bioanalytical laboratory assets and bioanalytical personnel of BioCryst Pharmaceuticals. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

This acquisition will allow Southern Research to expand its existing bioanalytical laboratory services, especially in the area of clinical trials support.

“We are happy to have this opportunity to expand our bioanalytical services and to offer some BioCryst employees an opportunity to join our team at Southern Research,” said Andrew Penman, Ph.D., vice president of Drug Development at Southern Research. “This offer will also keep these scientists and their families in Birmingham, which is important to industry growth here.”

The bioanalytical lab personnel will continue working in the BioCryst research facility in Birmingham until they can be relocated to Southern Research’s Southside Birmingham campus sometime early next year.

For more information about Southern Research’s preclinical drug discovery and development services, please contact BusDev@SouthernResearch.org.

About Southern Research

Southern Research Institute is a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 scientific research organization founded in 1941 that conducts preclinical drug discovery and development, advanced engineering research in materials, systems development, and environment and energy research. More than 550 scientific and engineering team members support clients and partners in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, defense, aerospace, environmental and energy industries. Southern Research is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., with facilities in Wilsonville, Ala., Frederick, Md., and Durham, NC and offices in Huntsville, Ala., New Orleans, La., Washington, DC and Kiev, Ukraine. For more information see southernresearch.org.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Southern Research Institute today announced that it has completed a bond financing transaction that will provide $20 million for capital projects. The financing will be used to renovate and expand its Birmingham-based engineering research and preclinical drug discovery and development facilities.

“We are pleased to be able to accelerate investments in our core engineering and life sciences businesses,” said David Rutledge, Southern Research’s chief financial officer. “We appreciate the proposal of Compass Bank and the other Birmingham financial institutions who worked with us to put this financing in place. We also appreciate the work of our financial advisor, Porter White & Company, in designing a debt policy and financing program appropriate for us, including the structure of our endowment which is one of the keys to our confidence in expanding our programs.”

“The Recovery Zone Bond financing will allow Southern Research to access capital at an attractive cost with flexible terms,” said Goodloe White, president of Porter White & Company.

The financing was issued through the Cooperative District of the City of Birmingham – Southern Research Institute, a public corporation organized in cooperation with the City of Birmingham, as tax exempt Recovery Zone Facility Bonds. The Bonds were purchased and will be held by Compass Bank. Maynard Cooper & Gale, PC served as bond counsel.

“We were delighted to work with Southern Research and Porter White & Company to structure financing for the upcoming capital projects,” said Doug Williams of Maynard Cooper & Gale. “After evaluating several options, the team concluded that the recovery zone bond program was most advantageous, and we hope that the efficiency and flexibility of this financing will continue to pay dividends for many years to come.”

The Recovery Zone Bonds will fund capital investments required to expand Southern Research’s engineering business in the Oxmoor area, and its Southside Birmingham campus where drug research and energy research are conducted. Through the expansion of these research facilities, the financing may also permit staff retainment and recruitment of new researchers to the area.

About Southern Research Institute

Southern Research Institute is a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 scientific research organization founded in 1941 that conducts advanced engineering research in materials, systems development, environment and energy, and preclinical drug discovery and development. More than 550 scientific and engineering team members support clients and partners in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, defense, aerospace, environmental and energy industries. Southern Research is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., with facilities in Wilsonville, Ala., Frederick, Md., and Durham, NC and offices in Huntsville, Ala., New Orleans, La., Washington, DC and Kiev, Ukraine. For more information see southernresearch.org.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Southern Research Institute today announced that Eve Mylchreest, Ph.D., has joined the Birmingham-based not-for-profit research organization to lead its reproductive toxicology group. Reproductive toxicology is the study of the effects of drugs and chemicals on mammalian reproduction, from the developing embryo/fetus to the sexually mature organism. Reproductive toxicology is a critical component of drug development to ensure that new drug candidates do not cause harm to unborn children and to ensure that they do not impair the ability to have children.

“We are very pleased to have Dr. Mylchreest join us, providing her significant expertise to our drug discovery and preclinical drug development efforts,” said Dr. Andrew Penman, vice president of Drug Development at Southern Research. “Her knowledge of reproductive toxicology and general toxicology, as well as her experience on drug development teams will be extremely valuable to our research clients.”

Dr. Mylchreest has 13 years experience as a study director conducting Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) studies for drugs, pesticides and commodity chemicals. She was previously employed by Pfizer in Chazy, NY, where she was a principal research scientist in Reproductive Toxicology. Prior to that, she was a senior research toxicologist and manager at DuPont Haskell Laboratory in Newark, Del. She completed her postdoctoral research at the Chemical Industry Institute of Toxicology in Research Park, NC. Dr. Mylchreest earned her Bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the Université de Montréal, Canada, also earning her Master’s degree and Doctorate degrees in toxicology while there.

About Southern Research Institute

Southern Research Institute, founded in 1941, is an independent non-profit organization conducting research and development in drug discovery and preclinical drug development, and advanced engineering research and development in materials, electromechanical systems design, and environmental and energy technologies. Southern Research has discovered more than 20 drugs that have entered clinical trials, with seven drugs having been approved by the FDA for use in the treatment of cancer.

More than 550 employees support commercial and government clients and partners in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, defense, aerospace, environmental and energy sectors through technology out-licensing, sponsored research, and strategic collaborations. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., Southern Research has facilities in Wilsonville, Ala., Frederick, Md., and Durham, NC and offices in Huntsville, Ala., New Orleans, La., Washington, DC and Kiev, Ukraine. For more information about Southern Research, visit southernresearch.org.

BIRMINGHAM/HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Southern Research Institute, a not-for-profit scientific research organization based in Birmingham, today announced that Thomas J. Heyer has joined Southern Research as Manager of Business Development in the Engineering Division, working in Birmingham as well as the new office opened in Huntsville last month.

“Tom’s expertise in the identification and commercialization of composite materials opportunities and innovative product development for new and existing global markets will be valuable to the engineering team at Southern Research, and also to our customers,” said Michael D. Johns, vice president of Engineering. “This is an area of business with high growth potential, so we look forward to his leadership.”

Heyer will direct marketing of engineering services for the development and testing of composite components and structures. Previously he was Technical Product Marketing Manager at Ticona Technical Polymers Division, Celanese Corporation since 2004. He managed the maintenance and growth of a global specialty polymer line while a Business Unit Manager at Zeon Chemicals. His career experience also includes nine years at 3M Company and seven years with General Motors. He received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, respectively, from the University of Rochester, and earned a Master’s degree in Business Administration from The University of Texas at Austin. He has achieved Six Sigma DFSS Black Belt certification and been active in a wide range of community service organizations.

About Southern Research Institute

Southern Research Institute is a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 scientific research organization founded in 1941 that conducts advanced engineering research in materials, systems development, environment and energy, and preclinical drug discovery and development. More than 550 scientific and engineering team members support clients and partners in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, defense, aerospace, environmental and energy industries. Southern Research is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., with facilities in Wilsonville, Ala., Frederick, Md., and Durham, NC and offices in Huntsville, Ala., New Orleans, La., Washington, DC and Kiev, Ukraine. For more information see southernresearch.org.

Birmingham CRO, biotech company find a way to enhance client offerings through scientific collaboration

Birmingham, Ala. – Southern Research and Vivo Biosciences, Inc. have signed a collaborative agreement to promote and co-market services of the respective organizations in a way to align complementary market growth interests in the most cost efficient way, and to enhance their service offerings to clients.

“For many years now, the pharmaceutical research industry has been finding great value in collaborative research between different organizations,” said Dr. Andrew Penman, vice president of Drug Development at Southern Research. “We are pleased to be working with a Birmingham biotech neighbor, Vivo Biosciences, as contract research services partners. This will allow both of our organizations to offer a larger array of services to our clients in a cost-efficient manner.”

“By partnering in certain scientific programs, Vivo Biosciences’ technologies and Southern Research’s excellent preclinical capabilities could potentially accelerate the preclinical drug decision-making process with much better precision and at a lower cost,” said Dr. Raj Singh, CEO of Vivo Biosciences.

According to Singh, Southern Research’s national and international network of clients, and its range of drug discovery and preclinical drug developmentservices is specifically of value to Vivo Biosciences. In return, Vivo’s 3D mini-tumor models-which offer real time functional analysis-are very complimentary to Southern Research’s advanced drug screening processes.

“In this economy, such partnerships are a smart thing to do, but can also lead to new creativity and the development of new innovation,” said Penman. “We were fortunate to find such an interesting partner here in Birmingham.”

About Vivo Biosciences

Founded in 2004, Vivo Biosciences, Inc. is the developer of new ‘all-human’ bioassay platforms for preclinical research, drug discovery and therapeutics. The company relies on its patented HuBiogel™ technology which emulates the biology of normal and disease tissues in vitro. A series of 3-D or Mini-tumor bioassay systems are developed for rapid analysis of drug efficacy, toxicity and therapy prediction, the major bottlenecks of current DD pipeline. This high-value technology is offered worldwide to academic, private and government institutions. Privately held, the company is based in Birmingham, Alabama, and its products are marketed worldwide. www.vivobiotech.com.

About Southern Research

Southern Research is a nonprofit 501(c) 3 scientific research organization that conducts preclinical drug discovery and development, and advanced engineering research in materials, systems development, environment and energy. More than 550 scientific and engineering team members support clients and partners in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, defense, aerospace, environmental and energy industries. Southern Research is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., with facilities in Wilsonville, Ala., Anniston, Ala., Frederick, Md., and Durham, NC and offices in New Orleans, La., Washington, DC and Kiev, Ukraine. For more information about Southern Research and its capabilities and accomplishments, visit southernresearch.org.

Birmingham/Huntsville, Ala. – Southern Research Institute, a not-for-profit scientific research organization based in Birmingham, today announced the opening of its new office at 4910 Corporate Drive in Huntsville, Ala. The Huntsville office will support Dept. of Defense and NASA programs, and serve as a center for business development activities in the Huntsville market.

“Southern Research engineers have supported defense and space flight programs in Huntsville for decades,” said Michael D. Johns, vice president of Engineering at Southern Research. “Huntsville continues to be an important market for us, so we wanted to be closer to our customers and partners.”

Southern Research engineers are widely recognized for a variety of disciplines including materials characterization in extreme environments, image processing and analysis, nondestructive characterization and metrology, and design and development of stabilized platforms for ground and air-based systems. These extreme environments range from cryogenic temperatures to more than 5,000° Farenheit. Southern Research is also known for developing unique video tracking instrumentation for military and commercial applications, and can design and build special airborne instrumentation systems and precision stabilized platforms for a wide variety of applications. Our Engineering Division has supported both NASA at Marshall Space Flight Center and the U.S. Army at Redstone for more than 40 years. The Engineering Division is ISO 9001 registered.

About Southern Research Institute

Southern Research Institute is a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 scientific research organization founded in 1941 that conducts advanced engineering research in materials, systems development, environment and energy, and preclinical drug discovery and development. More than 550 scientific and engineering team members support clients and partners in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, defense, aerospace, environmental and energy industries. Southern Research is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., with facilities in Wilsonville, Ala., Anniston, Ala., Frederick, Md., and Durham, NC and offices in Huntsville, Ala., New Orleans, La., Washington, DC and Kiev, Ukraine. For more information see southernresearch.org.

Birmingham, Ala. – Southern Research Institute today announced the winners of the Southern Research Institute 2009 Excellence Awards. One of the awards acknowledged the Birmingham scientific team tasked with responding to and assisting with global demand for the H1N1 flu vaccine last year.

The Excellence Awards program recognizes and rewards exceptional performance, outstanding accomplishments, and the setting and maintaining of high standards. The program was expanded in 2008 to include both individual and team recognition as well as expanded individual award categories.

All nominations are submitted by peers and supervisors, with the awards based on individual or team achievements that demonstrate innovation, competence, dedication, creativity, dependability, professionalism, quality, and/or service to clients or internal work groups.

“It is exciting to publicly recognize employees who excelled in the never ending quest to improve the health and well-being of people around the world,” said Robert L. McClure, vice president of Human Resources and Administrative Services at Southern Research. “What makes this award most meaningful is that these winners were nominated by their co-workers, the people who can best judge superior effort and achievement. I believe it says a great deal about the winners and all of the people of Southern Research in Alabama, North Carolina and Maryland because we had so many nominations for the award this year.”

The awards were presented by Southern Research president and CEO John A. “Jack” Secrist III, Ph.D. and divisional vice presidents during ceremonies in Birmingham, Ala., Frederick, Md., and Durham, No. Carolina. The categories awarded and recipients were:

The awards were presented by Southern Research president and CEO John A. “Jack” Secrist III, Ph.D. and divisional vice presidents during ceremonies in Birmingham, Ala., Frederick, Md., and Durham, No. Carolina. The categories awarded and recipients were:

Excellence in Leadership: Brian LaGory (Drug Development), Debbie Gohegan (Drug Development-Frederick, Md.), Karen Gilbert (Drug Development), and Ellen Faaleolea (Drug Discovery-Frederick, Md.)

Process Excellence: Jill Cordle (Finance), Sara McKellip (Drug Discovery)

Project Management Excellence: John Baker (Engineering-North Carolina)

Individual Initiative: Lavinia Rose (Drug Development)

Technical Excellence: Omar Moukha-Chafiq (Drug Discovery), Paula Allan (Drug Discovery), Chris McAnnally (Engineering)

Team Excellence: Damien Prewitt, James Johnson, Jason Lee, Stenisha McGhee, Michael Hendricks, Frank Robinson, Willette Edmonds, Timothy Williams, Wayne May, Christopher McCrief and Carlos Cadenhead (DLAR Team-Birmingham)

Team Excellence: Lisa Slappey, Valerie Johnson, Crystal Coleman, Kristen Southworth, Tim West, Tiffany Pitts, Candi Looney, Barbara Taggart, Logan Haller, April Robb, Angela Burns and Shuang Feng (Influenza Program Team-Birmingham)

Team Excellence: Brian Tidwell, Allison Brown, Sheryl Burrage, Bill Severson, Debra Sharpe, Jim Noah, Mary Guttieri (Biological Threat Reduction and Integrating Contract (BTRIC) Team-Birmingham)

Team Excellence: Monica Mason, Jamie Bell, Donna Bowen, Becky Boyer, Nikki Brown, Rodney Donaldson, Charlie Hampton, Dana Skillman and Rachel Wilson (Team ABSL3-Birmingham)

About Southern Research Institute

Southern Research Institute is a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 scientific research organization that conducts advanced engineering research in materials, systems development, environment and energy, and preclinical drug discovery and development. Our more than 550 scientific and engineering team members support clients and partners in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, defense, aerospace, environmental and energy industries. Southern Research is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., with facilities in Wilsonville, Ala., Anniston, Ala., Frederick, Md., and Durham, NC and offices in New Orleans, La., Washington, DC and Kiev, Ukraine. Southern Research has considerable experience in developing and evaluating technologies for the power industry. southernresearch.org