VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - May 22, 2014) - Advanced Proteome Therapeutics Corporation ("APC" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:APC) reports that the recent positive results in the Company's anticancer program have driven an increase in the Company's activities, in order to more rapidly capitalize on our findings and advance our innovative program to generate clinical interest and deal-making. We are building on recent results with collaborators in which we have demonstrated that modifications of our protein delivery system substantially increase antitumor activity and retard tumor growth in animals.
The Company is pursuing R&D that is advancing on three fronts to maximize possibilities for successful drug development and deal making. First, conjugates of its protein delivery system bearing chemotherapeutic drugs have been prepared and are currently being tested in animal models. Second, the antitumor activity of the protein, which itself has been shown to retard tumor growth, has been substantially increased (as reported for Series 1) by modifications that enhance affinity to the target biomarker on cancer cells, and thus retard tumor growth in animals. The encouraging affinity patterns to tumor cells that have been observed with members of Series I, have also been observed with Series 2, and series 3 is being readied for testing. Thirdly, besides our robust chemical modification capability, we have added recombinant DNA techniques to generate mutant fusion proteins that are now being produced and chemically modified. Such recombinantly generated proteins have been designed to allow for application of the full array of APC enhancements to the protein delivery system and to further strengthen our proprietary patent estate, which has been the subject of recent filings.
Further, the Company is involved in expanding access to equipment and instrumentation to cover the current needs of Company scientists who have been vigorously engaged in scaling up quantities of materials for multi-dose animal testing by our collaborators, in addition to their normal R&D activities. To more rapidly advance the program and provide increased support to our in-house efforts, contracts with our academic collaborators have been extended and will be announced shortly.
Besides ongoing work with fibrosarcoma cancer cell lines, testing in animal models in breast cancer have begun and an ovarian cancer cell line has been acquired, and still other possibilities are being considered. During the next several weeks results from biological testing are expected that will provide an indication as to which of our candidate molecules are appropriate for treating a specific cancer type.
Alexander Krantz, President and Chief Executive Officer of APC, said "The Company while thoroughly engaged in anti-cancer research, an immensely critical area of unmet needs, is focused on cancer immunotherapy, arguably the most exciting and promising area in current cancer research. From our innovative program, we have generated an ever increasing number of drug candidates, many of which are being tested to evaluate their potential as monotherapies and in combination immunotherapy. Advanced Proteome Therapeutics should be well-positioned to positively impact this vital area of therapeutic need which provides the optimal balance of costs and benefits."
About APC
APC has been applying its Foundation Trinity™ Technology to proteins targeted for the treatment of cancers. Advanced targeted therapies are designed to attack primarily cancer cells and are expected to dominate the anti-cancer therapeutics' market in the near future. The Company's goals are not only to employ therapy targeted for tumor cells, but also to deliver combination therapy in a single, pure therapeutic agent. To achieve this end, it has been the Company's intention to utilize a unique protein (and related systems), not only as a delivery vehicle to tumor cells, but also as a scaffold upon which to attach each anti-cancer entity to its own specific site on the protein surface - both key to efficient manufacturing and product development. The protein vehicle has emerged as a potential immunotherapeutic as it is implicated in activating the immune system to attack and help clear tumor cells. Immunotherapy is perhaps the most powerful current approach to cancer, and one of great commercial interest to the pharmaceutical industry.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD
Alexander (Allen) Krantz, President and Chief Executive Officer
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release involve risks and uncertainties, and are subject to change based on various important factors including timely development and acceptance of new products, gaining product approval, successful entry into new markets, changes in financing conditions, and changes in FDA regulations.
Contact Information:
(617) 638-0340
www.advancedproteome.com