REDWOOD CITY, Calif., May 3, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Threshold Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:THLD), today announced a presentation of preclinical research on its clinical stage hypoxia-activated prodrug, TH-302, at the 13th International Myeloma Workshop, being held May 3 to 6, 2011, in Paris, France. The poster presentation describes the efficacy of TH-302 when combined with bortezomib (Velcade). Bortezomib is approved for the treatment of cancer patients with multiple myeloma, a type of cancer of the bone marrow, who have already been treated with at least one other medication.
"Today's presentation is part of our ongoing collaboration with Professor Vanderkerken and her colleagues at the Vrije Universiteit. Previously, we had demonstrated that hypoxia is a critical component of the multiple myeloma microenvironment and that TH-302 had significant activity in preclinical multiple myeloma," said Charles Hart, Ph.D., Threshold's vice president of biology. "Here we demonstrate that the addition of TH-302 to bortezomib in translational models of multiple myeloma has synergistic in vitro activity and that TH-302 enhances the efficacy of bortezomib in an in vivo multiple myeloma model. These results support the potential clinical evaluation of the combination of TH-302 and bortezomib in multiple myeloma patients."
Poster 272, J. Hu et al., (Combination of TH-302 and bortezomib has synergistic activity in multiple myeloma) demonstrates that the combination of TH-302 and bortezomib synergistically induced apoptosis (programmed cell death), and that the combination of TH-302 and bortezomib showed improvements in multiple disease parameters, including decreased tumor burden, when compared to TH-302 or bortezomib alone.
Copies of the poster, which was presented today, may be obtained by calling the Company.
About Threshold Pharmaceuticals
Threshold is a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of drugs targeting Tumor Hypoxia, the low oxygen condition found in microenvironments of most solid tumors. This approach offers broad potential to treat most solid tumors. By selectively targeting tumor cells, we are building a pipeline of drugs that hold promise to be more effective and less toxic to healthy tissues than conventional anticancer drugs. For additional information, please visit our website (www.thresholdpharm.com).
Forward-Looking Statements
Except for statements of historical fact, the statements in this press release are forward-looking statements, including statements regarding TH-302, its mechanism of action, and its potential therapeutic uses and benefits. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that can cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, Threshold's ability to complete its clinical trials, whether TH-302 in humans will act as anticipated based on preclinical studies, whether future clinical trials will confirm the results of earlier trials based on small numbers of patients or confirm the earlier results from the same trials, the time and expense required to conduct such clinical trials and analyze data, issues arising in the regulatory or manufacturing process and any unanticipated or increased side-effects observed in patients receiving TH-302. Further information regarding these and other risks is included under the heading "Risk Factors" in Threshold's Annual Report on Form 10-K, which was filed with the Securities Exchange Commission on March 24, 2011 and is available from the SEC's website (www.sec.gov) and on our website (www.thresholdpharm.com) under the heading "Investors." We do not intend to update any forward-looking statement made in this news release.