Cambridge, MA, November 23, 2010- Epizyme, Inc., a company creating personalized therapeutics based on breakthrough discoveries in the field of epigenetics, announced that data related to the Company’s programs will be the subject of multiple oral presentations at the 52ndAmerican Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exhibition. ASH is being held December 4-7, 2010 in Orlando, Florida.
Epizyme scientists, Dr. Roy Pollock, Director, Biological Sciences, and Dr. Victoria Richon, VP Biological Sciences, will speak about recent progress in the development of targeted therapeutics for EZH2 and DOT1L, both histone methyltransferases, a class of epigenetic enzymes whose members play central roles in many genetically-defined cancers. Dr. Robert A. Copeland, EVP of R&D and CSO, said, “We are pleased to have the opportunity to present data on these important discoveries at ASH this year, and the promise they represent in creating personalized therapeutics.These presentations, which follow our recent PNAS publicationidentifying the central role of mutant EZH2 in the pathogenesis of two types of genetically-defined lymphomas,demonstrate our commitment to creating new medicines.”
Dr. Copeland added, “In addition to this EZH2 data, we are also excited to share data from our drug discovery program directed to DOT1L, where we have demonstrated the capability of a specific and selective small molecule inhibitor of DOT1L to selectively kill tumor cells in vitro. Using proprietary Epizyme compounds, we are able to achieve inhibition of DOT1L activity in in vivo models of MLL-rearranged leukemia.”
707 Lymphoma-Associated Mutations of EZH2 Result In a Change-of-Function
http://ash.confex.com/ash/2010/webprogram/Paper34189.html
Oral Session: Disordered Gene Expression in Hematologic Malignancy, including Disordered Epigenetic Regulation:
Dysregulated Expression in Lymphoid Malignancies
Monday, December 6, 2010: 5:30 PM
304 EFGH (Orange County Convention Center)
780 Selective Killing of Mixed Lineage Leukemia Cells by a Potent Small-Molecule DOT1L Inhibitor
http://ash.confex.com/ash/2010/webprogram/Paper32251.html
Oral Session: Molecular Pharmacology, Drug Resistance: Novel Therapeutic Agents for Myeloid Leukemia
Monday, December 6, 2010: 5:45 PM
304 ABCD (Orange County Convention Center)
Additionally, Epizyme authors contributed to the following oral presentation confirming the role of DOT1L in MLL-rearranged leukemia.
62 Demonstration of a Role for Dot1l In MLL-Rearranged Leukemia Using a Conditional Loss of Function Model
http://ash.confex.com/ash/2010/webprogram/Paper32997.html
Oral Session: Disordered Gene Expression in Hematologic Malignancy, including Disordered Epigenetic Regulation:
Disordered Gene Expression in MLL Rearranged Leukemia
Sunday, December 5, 2010: 4:45 PM
304 EFGH (Orange County Convention Center)
About Epizyme
Epizyme is leading the discovery and development of small molecule histone methyltransferase (HMT) inhibitors, a new class of targeted therapeutics for the treatment of genetically-defined cancer patients based on breakthroughs in the field of epigenetics. Genetic alterations in the HMTs are strongly associated with the underlying causes of multiple human diseases, including cancer. Epizyme’s hypothesis-driven approach represents the future of personalized therapeutics by creating better medicines for the right patients more quickly and at lower cost than traditional approaches.
www.epizyme.com
Media Contacts Kari Watson or Jennifer Conrad MacDougall Biomedical Communications 781.235.3060
