Cary Pharmaceuticals is developing Tempol (4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidine-1-oxyl.) as a treatment for chronic hypertension. Tempol represents an entirely new class of therapy for hypertension. It reduces oxidative stress by mimicking the function of superoxide dismutase (SOD), one of the body’s natural antioxidant defense mechanisms. Oxidative stress is a critical participant in the pathogenesis of many diseases, as well as the body’s natural aging process. By reducing oxidative stress, Tempol is able to reduce hypertension. In addition, mice given Tempol from birth have a 40% increase in life expectancy, indicating that the cumulative effects of oxidative stress, perhaps on DNA itself, may be a critical part of the aging process.

The Company has obtained an exclusive, worldwide license from Georgetown University to develop and commercialize Tempol. Dr. Christopher Wilcox, Ph.D., M.D., the Chairman of the Company’s Scientific Advisory Board, is the Chief of Nephrology and Hypertension at Georgetown University Medical Center and the inventor of several issued U.S. and European patents related to Tempol. Dr. Wilcox was the first to show, in animal models, the special antihypertensive and renal vasodilating properties of Tempol, and its in vivo antioxidant effects.

Dr. Wilcox is recognized worldwide as an expert in the field of hypertension. In 1999, he co-authored a textbook on the subject, Therapy in Nephrology and Hypertension. In 2000, Dr. Wilcox delivered the prestigious Lewis K. Dahl Memorial Lecture at the American Heart Association Annual Meeting about his research on Tempol and hypertension. Dr. Wilcox’s lab was awarded a five-year, $10.5 million research grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI/NIH) to fund his research on the mechanisms of hypertension, with a particular focus on the role that oxidative stress plays in genetic, renal and salt-induced hypertension. Tempol, and its mechanism of action in treating hypertension, will be a focus of this research.