Thuris announced an exploratory research collaboration with Praecis Pharmaceuticals Incorporated using Thuris' proprietary RapidAging animal models to develop compounds for age-related therapeutic targets in the brain.

Under the agreement, Thuris will test certain compounds for Praecis, and assess their effects against certain age-related pathologies. Specific terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

"The collaboration with Praecis is another validation regarding the breadth of possible uses for our in vitro and in vivo drug development models. The models rapidly trigger age-related biochemical changes, such as many of the distinct pathologies seen in Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases. These pathologies are created in our proprietary systems in days, and the tissue can be kept alive for weeks -- which gives us an excellent drug development tool for acute or chronic studies. We are quite pleased to be working with Praecis," said Keith B. Hoffman, Vice President of Business Development and Intellectual Property at Thuris.

Thuris' RapidAging technology is a system for testing potential anti-Aging and Alzheimer's drugs directly against primary pathologies including; neurofibrillary tangles, amyloid toxicity, inflammatory reactions, microglial activations and others. Thuris' proprietary RapidAging system creates these pathologies in just three to six days, enabling the rapid, precision testing of drug candidates against any or all of these targets, chronically or acutely.