SAN DIEGO, Feb. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- SGX Pharmaceuticals announced that it will present data today at the Keystone Symposia in Santa Fe, New Mexico entitled “Cancer and Kinases: Lessons from the Clinic” showing that, in vitro, compounds discovered by applying its FAST(TM) lead discovery platform potently inhibit wild-type and Gleevec-resistant BCR-ABL, including the most clinically challenging mutation T315I.
The clinical success of Gleevec has demonstrated that BCR-ABL kinase inhibitors can provide effective treatment of Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML). However, some patients develop resistance to Gleevec therapy, which occurs due to point mutations in the BCR-ABL kinase. There is currently no approved pharmaceutical treatment for such Gleevec-resistant CML. Although effective against many of the other clinically relevant mutants, second- generation BCR-ABL inhibitors currently in clinical studies have not been shown to inhibit T315I, which represents about 20 percent of clinically observed mutations and is one of the most common causes of resistance to treatment with Gleevec.
During an oral presentation in the session entitled “Structural Chemistry of Kinases and Profiling Kinase Inhibitors,” taking place today at 5:00 p.m., Stephen K. Burley, M.D., D.Phil., SGX Pharmaceuticals’ Chief Scientific Officer and Senior Vice President, Research, will present in vitro data showing that compounds in SGX’s most advanced lead series potently inhibit proliferation of K562 cells and Ba/F3 cells with wild-type BCR-ABL and most clinically-relevant mutations, including T315I.
SGX expects to file an IND in late 2006 to permit clinical development of a compound from its lead series of BCR-ABL kinase inhibitors for treatment of drug-resistant CML.
About SGX Pharmaceuticals
SGX Pharmaceuticals is a biotechnology company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative cancer therapeutics. More information can be found at www.sgxpharma.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release that are not strictly historical in nature are forward-looking statements. These statements include but are not limited to statements related to the progress, timing and potential success of SGX’s research and drug discovery and development programs, including the expected timing of filing an IND for a compound in its BCR-ABL program, the safety and efficacy of SGX’s potential development candidates, including the potential potency of SGX’s compounds, and the potential benefits to be derived from SGX’s technology and development candidates, in each case, including any compounds discovered in its BCR-ABL program. These statements are only predictions based on current information and expectations and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual events or results may differ materially from those projected in any of such statements due to various factors, including the risks and uncertainties inherent in drug discovery, development and commercialization, collaborations with others, and litigation. For a discussion of these and other factors, please refer to the risk factors section of the final prospectus from SGX’s initial public offering filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on February 1, 2006 as well as other subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. This caution is made under the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement and SGX undertakes no obligation to revise or update this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.
SGX Pharmaceuticals
CONTACT: Jason Spark of Porter Novelli Life Sciences, +1-858-527-3491,jspark@pnlifesciences.com, for SGX
Web site: http://www.sgxpharma.com/
