Cytopia Limited Scientific Presentations on JAK2 Inhibitor Program
MELBOURNE, Australia, Oct. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Cytopia Limited will present data on its JAK2 inhibitor program at two important scientific meetings this month.
Dr Emmanuelle Fantino, Head of Biology at Cytopia, will present a lecture entitled Targeted JAK2 Inhibitors for Myeloproliferative Disorders at the annual meeting of the Hematological Society of Australia and New Zealand, in Perth, Australia, on 21 October, 11:15am AWST.
Dr Christopher Burns, Cytopia's Research Director, will present his lecture JAK2 Inhibitors for Myeloproliferative Disorders at the 'Drug Discovery on Target' conference in Boston USA, on 22 October, 10:40am US EDT.
Both presentations will describe the very promising data generated for the company's lead JAK2 drug candidate CYT387 in a variety of in vitro and in vivo studies, supporting its development as a potent and selective compound for treating myeloproliferative disorders (MPDs).
Subject to regulatory approval, the company intends to commence a Phase I/II clinical study in patients with MPDs in early 2009. The study will be chaired by Dr Ayalew Tefferi of the Mayo Clinic, Rochester USA.
About JAK2
The discovery of a specific single activating mutation in the JAK2 enzyme in MPDs in 2005 has focused attention on developing a therapy for these diseases through selective inhibition of JAK2. To successfully address these chronic diseases with a JAK2 inhibitor, the specificity and resultant tolerability profile is a key element of the product profile required for a "best in class" inhibitor. Cytopia is a world leader in JAK2 kinase chemistry and holds a broad range of JAK2 related patents. The main focus of the JAK2 program is developing orally available JAK2 inhibitors to treat MPDs including myelofibrosis, polycythemia vera (PV) and essential thrombocythemia (ET). CYT387 is a specific JAK2 inhibitor with excellent potential for safe and efficacious chronic human dosing. It has been derived from Cytopia's knowledge of basic biology of JAK kinases and a strong structural biology program that has delivered multiple co-crystal structures of JAK2 bound with inhibitors. Cytopia has also developed an extensive chemical library of JAK2 inhibitors through an integrated computational and medicinal chemistry platform.
Cytopia is developing a suite of JAK2 inhibitors for multiple indications including specific cancers, particularly lymphomas and solid tumors where JAK2 has been shown to be up-regulated, and for cardiovascular diseases such as pulmonary hypertension.
About Cytopia
Cytopia Ltd is an Australian biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of new drugs to treat cancer and other diseases. Cytopia conducts its research and drug development through subsidiaries based in Melbourne, Australia and San Francisco, USA and specializes in developing new small molecule compounds with an improved therapeutic profile for the treatment of cancer.
The lead program for the company is CYT997, a vascular disrupting agent (VDA) for the treatment of various cancers, and currently being trialed in Phase I and Phase II clinical studies. Cytopia also is building on its range of JAK inhibitors and kinase expertise, with CYT387, a novel oral JAK2 inhibitor focused on the treatment of MPDs, expected to enter Phase I clinical studies in early 2009.
Website: www.cytopia.com.au/
CONTACT: Mr. Andrew Macdonald, Chief Executive Officer, +61-3-9208-4232,
andrew.macdonald@cytopia.com.au, or Dr Chris Burns, Director, Research,
+61-3-9208 4235, chris.burns@cytopia.com.au, both of Cytopia Limited
Web site: http://www.cytopia.com.au//