Sermonix Pharmaceuticals' Exploratory Analysis on Orgasm Frequency With SERMs Is Named Featured Poster for 2016 North American Menopause Society Annual Meeting

COLUMBUS, OH--(Marketwired - Sep 26, 2016) -  Sermonix Pharmaceuticals Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on late-stage women's health products, today announced that its exploratory analysis on sexual activity and orgasm frequency in menopause will be one of three featured scientific posters at the North American Menopause Society's (NAMS) annual meeting. The study included women from an osteoporosis prevention trial comparing its investigational drug, lasofoxifene, with raloxifene. The October 5-8 conference in Orlando, Florida, will also include a Sermonix poster on physician awareness of selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) in menopausal health.

The posters Sermonix will display at the NAMS annual meeting are:

• Reported Sexual Activity and Orgasm Frequency in a Comparative Study of the SERMs Lasofoxifene and Raloxifene in an Osteoporosis Prevention Study.
  
  
  • Authors: Michael Krychman, M.D., Executive Director of the Southern California Center for Sexual Health and Survivorship Medicine in Newport Beach, California; James Symons, MS, PhD, Sermonix Vice President of Clinical Development; David Portman, M.D., Sermonix Chief Executive Officer and Chief Medical Officer of Sermonix
    
    
• Physicians' Perceptions of Estrogen Agonist/Antagonists in Menopausal Health: An Opportunity to Address a Triad of Concerns in Menopause and Breast Cancer Survivorship
  
  
  • Authors: Michael Krychman, M.D., Executive Director of the Southern California Center for Sexual Health and Survivorship Medicine in Newport Beach, California; David Portman, M.D., Sermonix Chief Executive Officer and Chief Medical Officer of Sermonix

In a first for the NAMS conference, its Abstract Review Committee this year preselected three posters to be featured during its October 6 Poster Session, from 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. Presenting author Dr. Michael Krychman will discuss the findings related to Sermonix's poster and answer audience questions.

"This is the first time we're presenting sexual function data from this study and we're honored the NAMS abstract review committee is giving us a more prominent platform to do so," said Dr. Krychman. "The results further reinforce the important potential benefits lasofoxifene might bring to postmenopausal women, particularly when compared to raloxifene. The analysis suggests increased sexual activity and orgasm for those women assigned to lasofoxifene while participating in an osteoporosis prevention trial. This is relevant in that menopausal women often struggle concomitantly with both bone health and sexual function issues."

Data gathered from an online survey of obstetricians, gynecologists and primary care physicians who treat menopausal women will also be displayed at the NAMS conference.

"Clinicians are becoming increasingly aware of SERMs as an option and support the therapeutic benefit for menopausal women who are concerned with three key issues: breast cancer; vulvar and vaginal atrophy (VVA); and osteoporosis," said Dr. Portman, Sermonix Chief Executive Officer. "While SERMs currently capture a relatively small share of prescriptions for osteoporosis and VVA, the surveyed physicians reported that they view favorably a drug that could simultaneously address multiple women's health concerns. Sermonix continues to explore the use of lasofoxifene in these key therapeutic areas."

NAMS, founded in 1989, is North America's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting health and quality of life of all women during midlife and beyond through an understanding of menopause and healthy aging. Its membership of about 2,000 people includes clinical and basic scientific experts from the fields of medicine, nursing, psychology, epidemiology, pharmacy and other professions. Sermonix is a member of the NAMS 2016 Corporate Liaison Council.

More on lasofoxifene
Lasofoxifene -- a SERM, also known as an estrogen agonist/antagonist -- was originally developed through collaboration between Ligand Pharmaceuticals and Pfizer. Pfizer developed lasofoxifene for osteoporosis. It did not receive FDA approval in 2009; however, in Europe lasofoxifene was approved for osteoporosis treatment by the EMEA that same year. Pfizer never marketed lasofoxifene in Europe and subsequently rights to lasofoxifene reverted to Ligand in 2011. Sermonix obtained licensing rights to oral lasofoxifene from Ligand in February 2015 and is currently pursuing regulatory approval in the U.S. and other territories.

About Sermonix
Sermonix Pharmaceuticals LLC is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on bringing new and emerging late-stage women's health products through clinical development and regulatory approval. Founded in 2014, Sermonix has assembled a considerable management team with success in women's healthcare development. David Portman, M.D., Sermonix's founder and CEO, was principal investigator for the Phase II and Phase III lasofoxifene clinical trials and was actively involved during the drug's clinical development. Dr. Portman has experience in all stages of the regulatory approval process. James Symons, MS, PhD, is Vice President of Clinical Development at Sermonix and was the global clinical lead for the lasofoxifene development program for vulvar and vaginal atrophy as well as for multiple women's health submissions to the FDA during his tenure at Pfizer. Paul Plourde, Sermonix Oncology Team Leader, was previously with Astra-Zeneca, where he was instrumental in the development and approval of both tamoxifen and Arimidex^®. Elizabeth Attias, MMSc, ScD, Vice President of Business Development, has experience in all stages of women's health product assessment, market development, launch and commercialization. Miriam Portman, M.D., is the Chief Operating Officer of Sermonix. She is former Co-director and Founder of the Columbus Center for Women's Health Research and has extensive experience in clinical research, with a focus on FDA regulatory issues, clinical trial conduct, budgets and contracts. Sermonix Non-Executive Chairman of the Board is Anthony Wild, PhD, former president of both Parke-Davis Pharmaceuticals and Warner-Lambert's Pharmaceutical Division.