Merrimack Pharmaceuticals Inc. to Present Preclinical Research on Five Novel Cancer Therapies

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: MACK) today announced that research data on five novel experimental cancer therapies (MM-398, MM-121, MM-111, MM-302, and MM-141) will be presented at the 2013 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting, April 6-10, 2013 in Washington, DC. Presentations will include preclinical data evaluating the potential of treatments to restore tumor drug sensitivity and delay resistance when used alone or in combination with other targeted treatments. Data will be shared in late-breaking sessions, mini-symposia and poster sessions.

"We are excited about the advancements and research to be presented regarding several of the therapies in Merrimack's robust oncology pipeline," said Ulrik Nielsen, PhD, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, Merrimack Pharmaceuticals. "The research explores the potential of our novel medicines to inhibit signaling to prevent tumor growth and improve responsiveness to treatments, as well as the potential of our investigational nanotherapeutics to deliver chemotherapy directly to diseased cells to enhance activity and improve safety. These therapies are being studied across multiple cancers such as head and neck, lung, breast, gastric, pancreatic and melanoma."

Late-Breaking Poster

• Session Title: Late-Breaking Research - Clinical Research 1
  LB-79: Combined treatment with HER3 antibody MM-121/SAR 256212 and EGFR antibody cetuximab in pre-clinical models of head and neck cancer
  Monday, April 8, 2013, 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
  Hall A-C, Poster Section 45

Mini-Symposium Presentations

• Session Title: Preclinical and Molecular Endocrinology in Hormone-Responsive Cancers
  1072: MM-121/SAR256212, an anti-ErbB3 antibody, restores sensitivity to letrozole and delays the onset of resistance in an ER+ breast cancer model
  Sunday, April 7, 2013, 4:05 PM - 4:20 PM
  Room 206, Washington Convention Center
• Session Title: Novel Targeted Therapies 2
  4633: MM-111, a bispecific HER2 and HER3 antibody, synergistically combines with trastuzumab and paclitaxel in preclinical models of gastric cancer
  Tuesday, April 9, 2013, 3:05 PM - 3:20 PM
  Room 152, Washington Convention Center

Poster Sessions

• Session Title: Experimental Combination Therapy 1
  2077A: MM-141, a novel bispecific antibody co-inhibitor of IGF-1R and ErbB3, inhibits the proliferation of melanoma cells
  Monday, April 8, 2013, 1:00 PM -5:00 PM
  Hall A-C, Poster Section 37
• Session Title: Experimental Combination Therapy 2
  3271: Tumor priming with cyclophosphamide increases delivery and activity of Her2-targeted liposomal doxorubicin (MM-302) in preclinical models of breast cancer
  Tuesday, April 9, 2013, 8:00 AM -12:00 PM
  Hall A-C, Poster Section 37
• Session Title: Novel Delivery Technologies
  5622: The tumor microenvironment modulates the delivery and activation of liposomal encapsulated irinotecan, MM-398
  Wednesday, April 10, 2013, 8:00 AM -12:00 PM
  Hall A-C, Poster Section 41
• Session Title: Antibody/Protein Therapeutics
  5464: In-vitro studies of MM-121/SAR 256212, an anti-ErbB-3 antibody, in combination with erlotinib in EGFR-wild-type NSCLC
  Wednesday, April 10, 2013, 8:00 AM -12:00 PM
  Hall A-C, Poster Section 36

Sanofi and Merrimack entered into an exclusive, licensing and global collaboration agreement for MM-121 in 2009.

About Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Merrimack Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company discovering, developing and preparing to commercialize innovative medicines paired with companion diagnostics for the treatment of cancer. Merrimack applies Network Biology, its proprietary systems biology-based approach to biomedical research, throughout the research and development process. Merrimack currently has six targeted therapeutic oncology candidates in clinical development.

Forward-Looking Statement
Any statements in this press release about future expectations, plans and prospects for Merrimack constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. Merrimack anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause its views to change. However, while Merrimack may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, Merrimack specifically disclaims any obligation to do so.

SOURCE Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Inc.