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 NEREUS PHARMACEUTICALS REPORTS POSITIVE PRECLINICAL RESULTS OF VASCULAR TARGETING ANTI-CANCER COMPOUND
SAN DIEGO, CA - November 19, 2003 - Nereus Pharmaceuticals Inc., a pioneer in drug discovery and development from marine microbial sources, announced today results of preclinical studies demonstrating that one of its lead drug candidates, NPI-2358, induces rapid vascular collapse and tumor growth inhibition in solid tumor models. These effects are seen upon monotherapy and as a marked potentiation of standard chemotherapeutic treatment. Data are being presented this week in poster and oral presentations at two conferences: AACR-NCI-EORTC's* Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics, and Global Technology Community's (GTCBIO) Cancer Drug Research and Development. NPI-2358 is an analog of a new class of small molecule agents that was identified originally in an extract of a marine fungus (Aspergillus sp). At today's AACR event, Nereus scientific co-founder and vice president of technology assessment and development Michael Palladino, Jr., Ph.D., and vice president research and development and chief scientific officer G. Kenneth Lloyd, Ph.D., hosted posters detailing compound NPI-2358, a new vascular targeting and tubulin modifying agent. In in vivo tumor models, Nereus' vascular targeting agent selectively destroys vasculature in the central portion of tumors, resulting in the reduction in the size of the tumors. In animal model studies comparing a standard chemotherapeutic agent administered alone and in combination with NPI-2358, the combination was much more effective. In one study, lung tumor growth was inhibited 74% when treated with NPI-2358 in combination with taxotere, compared to 26% tumor growth inhibition when treated with the chemotherapeutic agent alone. In a series of studies of colon cancer, tumor growth was inhibited 79% when treated with a combination of NPI-2358 and CPT-11 compared to 37% when treated with CPT-11 alone. The effect of NPI-2358 was dose-dependent and was associated with tumor shrinkage in addition to the inhibition of tumor growth. Studies of NPI-2358 in combination with chemotherapy for breast cancer also showed significant reduction in tumor growth versus paclitaxel treatment alone. "Nereus is pleased that this compound from our series of novel anti-cancer agents derived from an extract of a marine fungus is demonstrating an impressive ability to improve the efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs," said Kobi M. Sethna, president and CEO of Nereus Pharmaceuticals. "We are seeking collaborators interested in co-developing NPI-2358 and our goal is to submit an investigational new drug application to the FDA for this candidate in the first half of 2004." Sethna commented that scientific advisory board members Dr. Antonio Grillo-López and Dr. Daniel Von Hoff are providing guidance to Nereus as it plans for NPI-2358 to be tested in humans. Both Grillo-López and Von Hoff have been instrumental in the clinical development of over 100 cancer therapeutics. At the GTCBIO conference in San Diego tomorrow, Palladino will join other leading cancer researchers when he discusses the "Identification and Development of Novel Oral, Small Molecule Vascular Targeting Agents and Proteasome Inhibitors." In addition to presenting data on NPI-2358, Palladino will discuss Nereus' compound NPI-0052, a potent, orally active proteasome inhibitor that suggests broad clinical applications, including the treatment of cancer, inflammation, and changes in innate immune responses induced by anthrax infections. NPI-0052 is a molecule discovered during the fermentation of Salinospora, a new marine Gram-positive actinomycete. * American Association for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer About Nereus Pharmaceuticals Nereus Pharmaceuticals is a registered trademark of Nereus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. All other product and company names may be registered trademark or trademarks of their respective owners.
Contact: Public Relations Nereus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (858) 200-8307 |
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