MISGAV, ISRAEL and LONDON--(Marketwire - June 10, 2009) - Medgenics (
AIM:
MEDU) (
AIM:
MEDG)
today announced that the Company's Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Andrew
Pearlman, will present at the ILSI-Israel BioMed Conference on June 15, at
the David Intercontinental Hotel at 4:30 pm. Dr. Pearlman will discuss
Medgenics' unique tissue-based platform technology for the sustained
protein therapy, Biopump. Medgenics recently reported the successful
demonstration of safety and efficacy of its first Biopump application,
EPODURE for the treatment of anemia, having shown more than 7 months of
sustained elevation of hemoglobin from a single treatment in patients with
chronic kidney disease (CKD) in its ongoing Phase I/II clinical trial.
Medgenics' Biopump is a unique tissue-based platform technology that
processes a toothpick sized sliver from the inner layer of the subject's
skin to produce therapeutic proteins and is intended to provide
sustained-action protein therapy for treatment of a range of chronic
diseases, including Hepatitis C, hemophilia, and multiple sclerosis. The
technology potentially offers a major advancement over today's protein
therapy which involves frequent, costly, and painful bolus injections. A
breakthrough in personalized medicine, the Biopump is intended to increase
efficacy and safety, reduce side effects, and improve patient compliance
and quality of life, as well as lower treatment costs, with promise to
extend treatment to currently under-treated populations.
According to Dr. Pearlman, "We are pleased to be speaking at the Israel
BioMed Conference to provide an overview of the continued and sustained
positive trial results. The EPODURE Biopump represents the first of a line
of Biopump products producing different proteins and designed to vastly
improve the treatment of chronic diseases."
Medgenics intends to develop its technology for a variety of chronic
conditions, initially focusing on anemia and hepatitis C, with the intent
to bring it to market via multiple strategic alliances in the relevant
therapeutic space. The Company is in active discussions with major
potential strategic partners for one or more applications.
ILSI-BioMed Israel 2009, 8th National Life Science & Technology Week, the
leading international conference covering the fast-growing field of
innovation in the biomedical, health care and life sciences industries, is
expected to attract over 6,000 local and international CEOs, experts,
academics, scientists, researchers, venture capitalists, and angel
investors.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
Medgenics, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing
its unique tissue-based Biopump platform technology to provide
sustained-action protein therapy for the treatment of a range of chronic
diseases.
Medgenics currently has two products in development based on this
technology:
-- EPODURE - producing erythropoietin (EPO) to treat anemia
-- INFRADURE - producing interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) to treat hepatitis
C
The Company has demonstrated proof of concept of the Biopump treatment
procedure in a clinical trial of EPODURE in anemic subjects. The Company's
Phase I/II clinical trial for its long-acting version of EPODURE, designed
to produce and deliver a therapeutic dose of EPO steadily for seven months
or more, commenced in August 2008. Medgenics plans to follow with a
clinical trial of INFRADURE.
Medgenics intends to develop its innovative products and bring them to
market via multiple strategic partnerships with major pharmaceutical and/or
medical device companies, starting with EPODURE and INFRADURE.
Beyond these, Medgenics plans to develop and/or out-license a pipeline of
future Biopump products targeting the large and rapidly growing global
protein therapy market, which is forecast to reach US $87 billion by 2010.
Other potential areas include multiple sclerosis (interferon-beta),
hemophilia (Factor VIII), pediatric growth hormone deficiency (human growth
hormone) and diabetes (insulin).
Founded in 2000, Medgenics is a US-incorporated company with major
operations in Misgav, Israel. Medgenics was admitted to the London AIM in
December 2007 (
AIM:
MEDG) and (
AIM:
MEDU).
www.medgenics.com
CAUTIONARY NOTICE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This release contains forward-looking statements, which include all
statements other than statements of historical fact, including (without
limitation) those regarding the Company's financial position, business
strategy, plans and objectives of management for future operations. These
statements relate to future events, prospects, developments and strategies.
Forward-looking statements are sometimes identified by their use of the
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based on current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties.
Should any of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of
the Company's assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may differ
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Accordingly, no undue reliance should be placed on these forward-looking
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disclaims any obligation or undertaking to disseminate any updates or
revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any
change in the Company's expectations with regard thereto or any change in
events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based.
As a result of these factors, the events described in the forward-looking
statements contained in this release may not occur.
Contact Information: For further information, contact:
Medgenics, Inc.
Dr. Andrew L. Pearlman
Phone: +972 4 902 8900
Grayling Global United States
Leslie Wolf-Creutzfeldt
Investor Relations
Phone: +1 646 284 8472
Email: lwolf-creutzfeldt@hfgcg.com
Ivette Almeida
Media Relations
Phone: +1 646 284 9455
Email: ialmeida@hfgcg.com