NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- HemaQuest Pharmaceuticals presented data from new preclinical studies and early results from clinical trials of its lead drug candidate, HQK-1001, in sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology in New Orleans. The preclinical studies demonstrated that HQK-1001 could augment the activity of a range of therapeutic agents that have been used in the past to treat hemoglobin disorders. In addition, the first clinical trials have begun testing HQK-1001 in patients with sickle cell disease or beta thalassemia. In these two HemaQuest-sponsored clinical trials, patients are being treated with increasing doses to determine its safety and pharmacodynamic effects. The studies are ongoing, and have demonstrated that the drug has a strong safety profile with early evidence of fetal globin induction, the key pharmacodynamic marker of therapeutic activity for this agent.
HemaQuest President and CEO Ronald Berenson, MD, said, “These clinical studies provide early evidence of the safety and potential therapeutic activity of HQK-1001 in patients with sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia. We look forward to the successful completion of these trials and future clinical studies to document the therapeutic effects of HQK-1001 in patients with these serious and life-threatening diseases.”
ABOUT SICKLE CELL DISEASE AND BETA THALASSEMIA
Sickle cell disease is a genetic disorder affecting the beta globin chain of adult hemoglobin, which results in distorted, rigid sickle red blood cells, which block blood vessels, causing lack of oxygen to tissues, acute episodes of pain (pain crises), lung injury (acute chest syndrome), and strokes. Infections are common, and chronic damage occurs in many organs, including the spleen, bones, kidneys, lungs, brain, and eyes. The sole drug which is approved to treat the disease is a cancer chemotherapy drug, hydroxyurea. The lifespan of sickle cell patients is markedly reduced in the U.S., where there are approximately 75-80,000 patients.
ABOUT HEMAQUEST PHARMACEUTICALS
HemaQuest Pharmaceuticals (www.HemaQuest.com), established in Massachusetts in late 2007, is a Seattle-based biopharmaceutical company focused on developing small molecule therapeutics based on its proprietary SCFAD technologies to treat hemoglobin diseases. HemaQuest is also developing a second therapy for viral-related hematologic malignancies. The company’s investors include De Novo Ventures, Forward Ventures, and Lilly Ventures.
HemaQuest Pharmaceuticals
