TARRYTOWN, N.Y., Oct. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- EpiCept Corporation today announced that Dr. Ben Tseng, Chief Scientific Officer, will present the results of studies examining the combination of EPC2407 with cancer therapeutics in preclinical animal models at the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics in San Francisco, CA on October 24, 2007. EPC2407 is EpiCept’s novel small molecule vascular disruption agent and apoptosis inducer for the treatment of patients with advanced solid tumors and lymphomas that recently completed enrollment in a Phase Ia single agent trial.
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The preclinical studies examined the effectiveness of combining EPC2407 with an anti-angiogenesis inhibitor, Avastin(R) or Sutent(R), or with the chemotherapeutic agent cisplatin. EPC2407 was administered in combination with a cancer therapeutic agent in mouse xenograft models of human non-small cell lung carcinomas and human breast carcinomas. These studies indicated significantly enhanced anti-tumor activity when EPC2407 was added to the therapeutic regimen, compared with either agent administered alone, which resulted in increased median survival and number of tumor-free animals well after the end of treatment (>2.5 months). The results demonstrated additive to synergistic activity when EPC2407 is used in combination with these cancer therapeutics.
These results strongly support the clinical testing of EPC2407 in combination with different anti-cancer agents. Advancement of EPC2407 in clinical trials to Phase Ib combination studies is planned to initiate in early 2008.
About EpiCept Corporation
EpiCept is focused on unmet needs in the treatment of pain and cancer. EpiCept has a staged portfolio of pharmaceutical product candidates with several pain therapies in late-stage clinical trials, and a lead oncology compound (for acute myeloid leukemia, or AML) with demonstrated efficacy in a Phase III trial; a marketing authorization application for this compound has been submitted in Europe. EpiCept is based in Tarrytown, N.Y., and its research and development team in San Diego is pursuing a drug discovery program focused on novel approaches to apoptosis.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release and any oral statements made with respect to the information contained in this news release, contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements include statements which express plans, anticipation, intent, contingency, goals, targets, future development and are otherwise not statements of historical fact. These statements are based on EpiCept’s current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or developments to be materially different from historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause actual results or developments to differ materially include: the risk that the proposed public offering will not be consummated, the risks associated with our need to raise additional financing to continue to meet our capital needs and our ability to continue as a going concern, the risk that Ceplene will not receive regulatory approval or marketing authorization in the EU or that Ceplene, if approved, will not achieve significant commercial success, the risk that Myriad’s development of Azixa(TM) will not be successful, the risk that Azixa will not receive regulatory approval or achieve significant commercial success, the risk that we will not receive any significant payments under our agreement with Myriad, the risk that the development of our other apoptosis product candidates will not be successful, the risk that our ASAP technology will not yield any successful product candidates, the risk that clinical trials for NP-1 or EPC 2407 will not be successful, that NP-1 or EPC 2407 will not receive regulatory approval or achieve significant commercial success, the risk that our other product candidates that appeared promising in early research and clinical trials do not demonstrate safety and/or efficacy in larger-scale or later stage clinical trials, the risk that EpiCept will not obtain approval to market any of its product candidates, the risks associated with dependence upon key personnel, the risks associated with reliance on collaborative partners and others for further clinical trials, development, manufacturing and commercialization of our product candidates; the cost, delays and uncertainties associated with our scientific research, product development, clinical trials and regulatory approval process; our history of operating losses since our inception; competition; litigation; risks associated with prior material weaknesses in our internal controls; and risks associated with our ability to protect our intellectual property. These factors and other material risks are more fully discussed in EpiCept’s periodic reports, including its reports on Forms 8-K, 10-Q and 10-K and other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. You are urged to carefully review and consider the disclosures found in EpiCept’s filings which are available at www.sec.gov or at www.epicept.com. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, any of which could turn out to be wrong due to inaccurate assumptions, unknown risks or uncertainties or other risk factors.
* Azixa is a registered trademark of Myriad Genetics, Inc.
EPCT-GEN
CONTACT: Robert W. Cook, EpiCept Corporation, +1-914-606-3500,
rcook@epicept.com; or Media, Greg Kelley, Feinstein Kean Healthcare,
+1-617-577-8110, gregory.kelley@fkhealth.com; or Investors, Kim Sutton
Golodetz, +1-212-838-3777, kgolodetz@lhai.com or Bruce Voss,
+1-310-691-7100, bvoss@lhai.com, both of Lippert-Heilshorn & Associates
Web site: http://www.epicept.com//
