Ligand Pharma Inc Roche Contingent Value Rights (LGNDZ)

[mlkrborn]

Ligand Pharma announces 'Positive' preclinical data on IRAK4 program at the 2011 American College of Rheumatology Annual scientific meeting (LGND) 15.70 : Co announced that data from preclinical studies on its Interleukin-1 Receptor Associated Kinase-4 program was featured in an oral presentation today at the 2011 Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology and the Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals in Chicago. IRAK4 is a protein kinase involved in immune and inflammatory signaling and has become a high priority novel target for drug development in the areas of oncology and inflammation. IRAK4 inhibitors showed substantially reduced off-target kinase activity. Oral administration of an IRAK4 inhibitor halted disease progression in a mouse model of rheumatoid arthritis.