SALT LAKE CITY, Nov. 16, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Myriad Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:MYRX) today announced the presentation of preliminary phase 1 data for MPC-3100, its fully-synthetic small molecule Hsp90 inhibitor, at the AACR-NCI-EORTC Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics conference.
In vivo studies with MPC-3100 induced tumor regression or caused tumor growth inhibition in non-clinical models of gastric, prostate, ovarian, breast cancer and leukemia.
MPC-3100 is currently in a phase 1 study in patients with solid or hematological refractory cancers who have no available approved therapies. The primary objectives of the trial are to determine the safety and pharmacokinetics of MPC-3100. Preliminary data from this trial has demonstrated that MPC-3100 is orally-bioavailable with a half life of approximately 12 hours. Drug absorption has not been maximized and continues to increase with increasing dose. Plasma concentrations in patients are comparable to those found to inhibit tumor growth in non-clinical studies. Moreover, these concentrations of MPC-3100 were achieved in patients in the absence of dose-limiting toxicities.
"We continue to be very excited by the potential of MPC-3100 to treat a wide range of cancers," said Dr. Adrian Hobden, President and CEO of Myriad Pharmaceuticals. "First generation Hsp90 inhibitors have already shown anti-cancer activity in the clinic. However, unlike these earlier Hsp90 inhibitors, MPC-3100 is fully-synthetic and orally-bioavailable, and can achieve and maintain potentially therapeutic levels without inducing dose limiting toxicities."
Hsp70 is under investigation as a biomarker of Hsp90 inhibition. In study results obtained to date, MPC-3100 induces and maintains HSP70 expression throughout the treatment cycle.
Presentation schedule:
Abstract # A218 (Nov 16, 12:30 - 2:30 PM EST and 5:30 - 7:30PM EST): Pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) data for MPC-3100, a fully synthetic, orally bioavailable HSP90 inhibitor, in cancer patients.
The presentation will be available as a PDF file on the Myriad Pharmaceuticals' website (http://www.myriadpharma.com).
About MPC-3100
MPC-3100 is currently in Phase 1 clinical studies. MPC-3100 is a novel, fully-synthetic, orally-bioavailable, small-molecule inhibitor of Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90). Hsp90 is a proven target for cancer treatment. Early natural product inhibitors of Hsp90 demonstrated activity in several human cancer clinical studies, including studies of Her2+ breast cancer, multiple myeloma and gastric cancers. However, these compounds have also demonstrated significant toxicity. Unlike these molecules, MPC-3100 is a fully-synthetic, small molecule that is orally-bioavailable and has very encouraging non-clinical safety and efficacy data. MPC-3100 has the potential to treat a wide range of cancers.
Myriad Pharmaceuticals has an issued composition of matter patent on MPC-3100 and has developed a tablet formulation. These tablets are being used in the ongoing Phase 1 study.
Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is a chaperone protein that plays an important role in regulating the activity and function of numerous signaling proteins, or client proteins, that trigger and maintain proliferation of cancer cells. Important client proteins in cancer cells include steroid hormone receptors, protein kinases, mutant p53, and telomerase. Hsp90 binds and stabilizes these oncogenes while inhibition of Hsp90 leads to their degradation.
About Myriad Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Myriad Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing novel small molecule drugs that address severe medical conditions, including cancer and HIV infection. Our pipeline includes clinical and pre-clinical product candidates with distinct mechanisms of action and novel chemical structures that have the potential to be first-in-class and/or best-in-class therapeutics. For more information visit www.myriadpharma.com.
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This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements relating to the potential of MPC-3100 to treat a wide range of cancers. These "forward-looking statements" are based on management's current expectations of future events and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the risk that we may be unable to further identify, develop and achieve commercial success for new products and technologies; the risk that we may be unable to discover drugs that are safer and more efficacious than our competitors; the risk that we may be unable to develop and maintain manufacturing capabilities for our products; the possibility of delays in the research and development necessary to select drug development candidates and delays in clinical trials; the risk that clinical trials may not result in marketable products; the risk that we may be unable to successfully finance and secure regulatory approval of and market our drug candidates, or that clinical trials will not be completed on the timelines we have estimated; uncertainties about our ability to obtain new corporate collaborations and acquire new technologies on satisfactory terms, if at all; the development of competing products and services; the risk that we may be unable to protect our proprietary technologies; the risk of patent-infringement claims; risks of new, changing and competitive technologies and regulations in the United States and internationally; and other factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" contained in "Item 1A. - Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2009, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as any updates to those risk factors filed from time to time in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K. All information in this press release is as of the date of the release, and Myriad Pharmaceuticals undertakes no duty to update this information unless required by law.