MARKHAM, ON, March 16 /PRNewswire/ - LymphoSign Inc. announced today that it has completed pre-clinical testing of LS104, a kinase inhibitor and it intends to submit applications to begin human clinical trials for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia and other blood-related cancers shortly.
Recent non-human testing has shown LS104 to provide a significant survival advantage in an animal model of human acute myeloid leukemia. "These results are highly encouraging with respect to potential usefulness of LS104 in combating acute myeloid leukemia in humans," stated Dr. Joseph Elliot, President and Chief Executive Officer of LymphoSign.
"LS104 has also proven to be active in cultured human acute leukemia, myeloma and lymphoma cells in vitro, and safe and well tolerated in non-human testing over 28 days of treatment," commented Dr. Helmut Thomas, LymphoSign's Vice President, Drug Development. "From a pre-clinical point of view, we are ready to move into human testing."
Additionally, LymphoSign is in the process of making a Clinical Trial Application (CTA) to regulatory authorities in Canada and Europe and expects to begin clinical testing in humans later this year. An Investigational New Drug (IND) application in the US is planned for 2007.
About LS104
LS104 is a small molecule "kinase" inhibitor, (kinases being proteins naturally occurring in the human body that are believed to play a role in uncontrolled cancerous cell growth). LS104 is the first of a new class of kinase inhibitors known as "non-ATP competitive kinase inhibitors." Most kinase inhibitors currently in development compete with adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the cell's energy source. LS104 may provide broad opportunities for use in combination with other kinase inhibitors as well as current standard chemotherapy treatments. LS104 has the potential of being effective in restricting cancer development with a significantly lower toxicity than chemotherapy currently used in cancer treatment. Kinase inhibitors interfere with abnormal cellular signaling specific to the growth of cancer cells. By blocking the action of specific kinases, LS104 targets cancer cell pathways in contrast to many chemotherapy compounds, which attack cancerous and non-cancerous cells alike causing serious side effects.
LS104 was developed in the laboratory of Dr. Chaim Roifman, Head of the Division of Immunology and Allergy, and the Head of Infection, Immunity, Injury and Repair Research Program at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. LymphoSign has licensed the exclusive rights to LS104 and other new compounds developed by The Hospital for Sick Children.
About Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)
Leukemias are cancers of the bone marrow and blood. They are characterized by the uncontrolled accumulation of abnormal blood cells. The most common type of leukemia is acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with an estimated 12,000 new cases annually in the United States. AML occurs mostly in adults over the age of 40 and with an average age of occurrence of 65. AML is an area of high unmet medical need since current AML treatments are characterized by poor long-term response rates with fewer than 20 per cent of adult patients surviving five years after diagnosis.
About LymphoSign Inc.
LymphoSign Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focusing on the discovery and early-stage development of drugs targeting cancer and particularly cancers of the blood. The company has invested over $16 million in the acquisition, development and testing of a number of compounds including those licensed from The Hospital for Sick Children of Toronto.
Its lead compound, LS104 is a kinase inhibitor that has completed pre-clinical safety testing and shows promise in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia in non-human testing. LymphoSign, subject to regulatory authority approvals, intends to begin human trials of LS104 this year.
LymphoSign has a highly qualified board of directors, chaired by Alan Lewis, Ph.D, former President, Signal Research Division, Celgene Inc. of San Diego, California, and a scientific advisory board of notable cancer research scientists to provide guidance in the company's drug development efforts.
LymphoSign's major investors include VenGrowth Advanced Life Sciences Fund Inc. of Toronto www.vengrowth.com, GeneChem Therapeutics Venture Fund LP of Montreal www.genechem.com, and BDC Venture Capital www.bdc.ca.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking statements subject to risks and uncertainties beyond management's control. These include, but are not restricted to our statements of expectations regarding development plans of LS104 or any of the other compounds being investigated, their effectiveness in the treatment of diseases or our ability to advance compounds to the stage of commercial development. Actual results could differ materially from those expressed here. LymphoSign Inc. undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements in light of future events.
LymphoSign Inc.CONTACT: Joseph Elliot, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer,Phone: (905) 530-2233 (direct), Fax: (905) 530-2344,jelliot@lymphosign.com; or visit our website: www.lymphosign.com
