Glaxo to Acquire Red-Wine Pill Maker Sirtris

This just in: GlaxoSmithKline says it will acquire Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, a Massachusetts company that's developing a drug based on resveratrol, a chemical found in red wine that is thought to fight some effects of aging.

Glaxo said in a news release that the $720 million deal will help it get involved with sirtuins, a recently-discovered class of enzymes believed to have a role in the aging process. Sirtris said early this year that its red-wine drug, which targets the sirtuin 1 enzyme, was well-tolerated and safe for patients in an early study in diabetics.

It's still early to tell whether the drug, code named SRT501, will work out. In the meantime, Sirtris has also been working on some new compounds that it says mimic the effects of resveratrol but with much more potency.

Glaxo said targeting the sirtuin family could help it address diseases associated with metabolism and aging such as diabetes, muscle wasting and neurodegeneration.