FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
- Research undertaken at POETIC member institutions Alberta Children’s Hospital (Canada) and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center identifies PV-10 activity, mechanisms of action, drug synergy, and in vivo activity
- Preclinical data support advancing clinical development of PV-10 into early-stage clinical trial for refractory pediatric solid tumors
KNOXVILLE, TN & NEW YORK, NY, May 17, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Provectus and POETIC today announced preclinical PV-10 data from pediatric cancer research that will be presented at the 2018 American Society of Clinical Oncology (“ASCO”) Annual Meeting in Chicago, IL.
PV-10 induced cell death in pediatric solid tumor cell lines derived from relapsed pediatric neuroblastoma, Ewing sarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, and osteosarcoma with a measurable therapeutic window compared to normal cells. Western blot analyses of cells treated with PV-10 indicated induction of apoptosis. Drug combination studies showed synergy with radiation and agents that target mitosis. Xenograft studies showed significant reduction of tumor burden in PV-10-treated mice compared to control animals, with a corresponding increase in overall survival.
Provectus Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTCQB: PVCT, www.provectusbio.com) (“Provectus” or the “Company”) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing PV-10 as the first small molecule oncolytic immunotherapy for adult and pediatric solid tumor cancers. The Pediatric Oncology Experimental Therapeutics Investigators' Consortium (“POETIC”) is a group of North American academic medical centers developing new pediatric cancer therapies.
Findings will be highlighted in a poster presentation on Saturday, June 2 from 8:00 to 11:30 a.m. CDT in Hall A as part of the Pediatric Solid Tumors topic during the Pediatric Oncology session. The POETIC poster title is “In vitro and xenograft anti-tumor activity, target modulation and drug synergy studies of PV-10 against refractory pediatric solid tumors,” the poster board number is 230, and the abstract number is 10557.
This preclinical pediatric cancer research was led by Aru Narendran, MD, PhD and researchers at the POETIC Laboratory for Pre-Clinical and Drug Discovery Studies at the University of Calgary (Canada), together with Tanya Trippett, MD, Director of POETIC and researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Dr. Trippett said, “POETIC's mission is to promote the early clinical development of promising therapies for the treatment of children, adolescents, and young adults with cancer. We hope our collaboration with Provectus on PV-10 leads to an opportunity to improve cancer care for children around the world.”
Ed Pershing, Chair of Provectus’ Board of Directors, said, “We are thrilled to work alongside POETIC and its member institutions in Canada and the U.S. in an effort to jointly advance options for pediatric cancer patients around the globe.”
About PV-10
Provectus’ lead investigational cancer drug product, PV-10, the first small molecule oncolytic immunotherapy, can induce immunogenic cell death. PV-10 is undergoing clinical study for adult solid tumor cancers, like melanoma and cancers of the liver, and preclinical study for pediatric cancers such as Ewing sarcoma, neuroblastoma, osteosarcoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma.
About the Pediatric Oncology Experimental Therapeutics Investigators' Consortium
The Pediatric Oncology Experimental Therapeutics Investigators’ Consortium (POETIC) was founded in February 2003 by Dr. Tanya Trippett at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Dr. Lia Gore at the University of Colorado Cancer Center. POETIC is composed of ten large academic medical centers in North America with a major emphasis on comprehensive cancer care and research that provide the collaborative and research strength needed to complete intensive phase I and II studies. Each of the institutions is uniquely suited to complete early studies in the pediatric and adolescent populations. POETIC’s assets include membership in NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, on-site NIH-funded pediatric and/or general clinical translational research centers (CTRCs/CTSAs), and active collaborations with developmental therapeutics programs for adults at a majority of its member institutions. The availability of strong basic science and translational research programs at the institutions allows focus on the development and evaluation of new therapeutic strategies for patients with cancer and related disorders. POETIC’s pediatric oncology studies focus on the biologic basis for anti-cancer therapy, and in particular, attempt to explore and evaluate novel agents and/or combinations of therapies early in clinical development as well as new approaches to targeted delivery. For additional information about POETIC, please visit the Consortium’s website at www.poeticphase1.org.
About Provectus
Provectus is a clinical-stage biotechnology company leading the development of a new class of drugs based on halogenated xanthenes. Information about the Company’s clinical trials can be found at the NIH registry, www.clinicaltrials.gov. For additional information about Provectus, please visit the Company’s website at www.provectusbio.com.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: This release contains “forward-looking statements” as defined under U.S. federal securities laws. These statements reflect management's current knowledge, assumptions, beliefs, estimates, and expectations and express management's current views of future performance, results, and trends and may be identified by their use of terms such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “will,” and other similar terms. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to materially differ from those described in the forward-looking statements. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Such statements are made as of the date hereof, and we undertake no obligation to update such statements after this date.
Risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to materially differ from those described in forward-looking statements include those discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (including those described in Item 1A of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017).