ALACHUA, Fla., May 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Oragenics, Inc. announced today that its lead antibiotic candidate, MU1140(TM)(TM), has shown promising efficacy in preclinical testing using a mouse sepsis model. The study was designed to evaluate the protective effect of MU1140 when administered by intravenous injection to mice infected intraperitoneally with a lethal dose of Staphylococcus aureus.
The antibiotic has shown significant activity in the laboratory against a number of clinically relevant bacterial isolates. The results of the mouse sepsis study suggest that MU1140 also acts against bacteria in a living animal. Dr. Jeffrey Hillman, Oragenics’ Chief Scientific Officer, stated, “We are very pleased with these preliminary results. It’s important to note that MU1140 operates via a novel mechanism of action. Because of this, we expect that bacteria will have difficulty in developing resistance to it. However, we still need to perform additional preclinical studies before deciding if MU1140 can serve as a useful drug against bacterial infections.”
“The medical community has been urging companies to invest in the anti- infectives area because bacterial infections are becoming more difficult to treat, with resistant strains on the increase,” said Dr. Robert Zahradnik, CEO and President of Oragenics. “MU1140 could represent an important new antibiotic tool to fight hospital and community acquired infections.” Oragenics plans to complete by the end of this year the preclinical tests necessary to begin a Phase 1 clinical trial.
About Oragenics
Oragenics, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company with a pipeline of proprietary technologies. The Company has a number of products in discovery, preclinical and clinical development, with a concentration in two main therapeutic areas: infectious disease and oncology. Oragenics’ core pipeline includes products for use in the treatment of dental and periodontal infectious diseases, systemic bacterial infections and obesity. In the discovery stage are three platform technologies for identifying biomarkers of infection, cancer and autoimmune diseases and for the solid state synthesis of bioactive peptides including small molecule antibiotics.
Safe Harbor Statement: Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This release includes forward-looking statements that reflect Oragenics’ current views with respect to future events and financial performance. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s beliefs and assumptions and information currently available. The words “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “project” and similar expressions that do not relate solely to historical matters identify forward- looking statements. Investors should be cautious in relying on forward-looking statements because they are subject to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to those set forth in our most recently filed annual report on Form 10-KSB and quarterly report on Form 10-QSB and other factors detailed from time to time in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We expressly disclaim any responsibility to update forward-looking statements.
Oragenics, Inc.
CONTACT: Robert T. Zahradnik, Oragenics, Inc., +1-386-418-401, ext. 222
Web site: http://www.oragenics.com/
