LEXINGTON, Ky., Sept. 16, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Coldstream Laboratories, Inc., a provider of sterile drug product development and manufacturing services, has announced a partnership with CytImmune to manufacture CYT-6091 for injection in preparation for Phase II clinical trials. CYT-6091 is part of CytImmune's Aurimune platform. Specifically, Coldstream shall perform scale-up and optimization of the manufacturing and lyophilization process to enable the manufacture of clinical trial materials.
CYT-6091 is comprised of gold nanoparticles bound with an immune-avoiding component (PEG-Thiol) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF) which has been successfully tested at the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, in a Phase I clinical trial in advanced-stage cancer patients. As seen in that study, the gold nanoparticles were observed to accumulate in tumor tissues while leaving healthy tissue unaffected. The Aurimune platform provides a significantly enhanced safety profile for TNF when formulated as CYT-6091 compared to systemically administered TNF.
The Phase II trials, to be conducted in New York City at Montefiore Einstein Center for Cancer Care will scale production tenfold from Phase I manufacturing. The study will be designed to test how well CYT-6091 benefits lung cancer patients.
Dr. Lawrence Tamarkin, CytImmune's CEO said, "We have seen proven success of CYT-6091 in Phase I clinical trials. We are looking forward to partnering with Coldstream in preparation for Phase II trials in an effort to move cancer care forward."
Coldstream's President & CEO, Eric W. Smart, added, "We are extremely pleased that CytImmune has chosen Coldstream as their CMO. We are confident that the encouraging results from CYT-6091 trials paired with Coldstream's parenteral manufacturing expertise will lead to a successful relationship and improve treatments available to cancer patients."
About CytImmune
CytImmune is a clinical stage nanomedicine company with a core focus on the discovery, development and commercialization of multifunctional, tumor-targeted cancer therapies. Based on a research and development strategy to harness the unique properties of gold nanoparticles, cytotoxic agents, and biology of tumors, CytImmune is developing a pipeline of proprietary drug candidates by binding potent anti-cancer agents – whose toxicity profiles currently prevent or severely limit clinical use – to its patented tumor-targeting platform nanotechnology. The company's nanomedicine technology is highly versatile and may be used with a broad spectrum of anti-cancer agents. For more information on CytImmune, please visit www.cytimmune.com.
About Coldstream Laboratories
Coldstream Laboratories, Inc., based in Lexington, KY, is a privately held specialty pharmaceutical contract manufacturing organization, also offering full analytical, formulation, microbiology and lyophilization development services. Coldstream specializes in the development and manufacture of highly potent compounds and operates Kentucky's only parenteral manufacturing facility. For more information, visit www.coldstreamlabs.com or email customerservice@coldstreamlabs.com