DALLAS, Dec. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Access Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that its proprietary therapeutic compound ProLindac will be featured at the forthcoming, industry-renown conference entitled “10th International Symposium on Platinum Coordination Compounds in Cancer Chemotherapy” held in Verona, Italy from November 30 - December 3, 2007. There will be a total of four presentations by Access which focus on ProLindac at this preeminent conference, which is held once every four years and routinely attracts the leading researchers and companies in platinum therapeutics from throughout the world.
There will be two poster presentations on ProLindac. In one poster presentation, investigators involved in the ongoing Phase 2 clinical study of ProLindac in recurrent ovarian cancer will provide an update on the study where ProLindac has shown consistent early signs of anti-tumor activity and clinically meaningful stabilization in patients as well as a reduction of the CA125 biomarker, a reliable early indicator of the clinical progression of cancer patients.
“This forum is an ideal and prestigious venue for us to highlight our new insights on ProLindac to the world’s leading experts on platinum compounds,” stated Dr. Esteban Cvitkovic, Access’ Vice-Chairman (Europe), Board Member and Senior Director, Oncology Clinical R&D. “The additional data presented at the conference also provides evidence of the underlying mechanism by which ProLindac functions and the ability to combine ProLindac with other anti-cancer agents. These combination studies represent an important next step in our clinical development program.”
In addition to the clinical update, in another poster, Access scientists will present data which provide further support for the assertion that release of platinum from ProLindac in vivo occurs faster in the more acidic environment found in many tumors. The new supportive data were generated in systems which are more biologically relevant than those of previous studies.
In addition to the poster presentations, Dr. Stephen Howell, M.D., a leading platinum researcher and Access Board Member, will provide an overview of ProLindac in the opening session of the conference. In the same session, Dr. Maria Serova, a scientist from Prof. Eric Raymond’s laboratory at the Beaujon University Hospital in France, will present recent results from in vitro studies which provide evidence for the mechanisms by which ProLindac causes apoptosis in tumors cells. Dr Serova’s presentation will also show that ProLindac works additively/synergistically with other anticancer compounds.
“The broad array of preclinical and clinical data being presented at this conference continues to support the premise that ProLindac, with continued development success, could provide a new and preferential treatment for a variety of cancers currently served by platinum agents, as well as cancers for which platinum is currently not an option,” stated Stephen R. Seiler, Access’ President and CEO. “In a previously reported Phase 1 monotherapy study, ProLindac was found to exhibit efficacy in several late-stage cancer patients. The biomarker responses seen in the ongoing ovarian cancer trial provides further evidence that ProLindac could be effective in this cancer. Patients are now treated with oxaliplatin based combinations of anticancer compounds, and so it is encouraging that in vitro data on ProLindac indicates that this compound works synergistically with the same existing agents.”
About ProLindac(TM):
ProLindac is a novel DACH platinum prodrug which has been shown to be active in a wide variety of solid tumors in both preclinical models and in human trials. Access believes that ProLindac’s unique molecular design potentially could eliminate some of the toxic side effects seen in the currently marketed DACH platinum, Eloxatin, which has sales in excess of $2 billion.
About Access:
Access Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is an emerging biopharmaceutical company that develops and commercializes propriety products for the treatment and supportive care of cancer patients. Access’ products include ProLindac(TM), currently in Phase 2 clinical testing of patients with ovarian cancer and MuGard(TM) for the management of patients with mucositis. The company also has other advanced drug delivery technologies including Cobalamin(TM)-mediated targeted delivery and oral drug delivery. Access has announced the execution of a definitive merger agreement to acquire Somanta. The acquisition of Somanta has not yet closed and the closing is subject to numerous closing conditions. For additional information on Access Pharmaceuticals, please visit our website at http://www.accesspharma.com.
This press release contains certain statements that are forward-looking within the meaning of Section 27a of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements include those relating to: early results from our clinical trial, ProLindac’s anticancer mechanisms, Access’ plans to continue and initiate clinical trials as well as combination trials, planned dose escalation, the absence of nephrotoxicity, the ability to establish a higher therapeutic index for ProLindac, the value of our products in the market, our ability to achieve clinical and commercial success, our ability to successfully develop marketed products and our ability to obtain or meet the closing conditions in the merger agreement with Somanta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and applicable regulatory and tax requirements, and to otherwise complete the merger in a timely manner, yet there can be no assurances that the closing conditions will be met or waived or that the transaction will close. These statements are subject to numerous risks, including but not limited Access’ need to obtain additional financing in order to continue the clinical trial and operations and to the risks detailed in Access’ and Somanta’s Annual Reports on Form 10-KSB and other reports filed by Access and Somanta with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
CONTACT: Stephen B. Thompson, Vice President, Chief Financial Officer of
Access Pharmaceuticals, Inc., +1-214-905-5100; or Investor Relations,
Donald C. Weinberger or Media, Alisa Steinberg, both of Wolfe Axelrod
Weinberger Assoc. LLC, +1-212-370-4500; or Andrew Hellman of CEOcast, Inc.,
+1-212-732-4300, for Access Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Web site: http://www.accesspharma.com/
