LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J.,
Oct. 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/
-- Celsion Corporation (NASDAQ: CLSN) today announced the
presentation of data related to TheraSilence™, the Company's
lung-specific RNA delivery technology, at the miRNA World
Conference Workshop on miRNA Delivery in Boston, MA. The data was presented by
Dr. Khursheed Anwer, Celsion's
Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer, during a
panel presentation, and highlighted formulation characteristics of
the TheraSilence delivery platform, preclinical proof-of concept
data and data supportive of GEN-2 (formerly referred to as
EGEN-002), Celsion's RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutic for the
treatment of lung cancer. Celsion acquired the TheraSilence
platform and GEN-2 through its acquisition of EGEN, Inc. in
June 2014.
"Our TheraSilence delivery platform is designed to overcome the
challenges associated with delivery of RNA for the treatment of
lung diseases, with a chemically flexible system that allows us to
improve the safety, stability, and efficiency of RNA delivery to
the lung," stated Dr. Anwer. "The data presented was developed
under a research collaboration and shows that intravenous
administration of small RNAs formulated with our delivery system
produced significant and durable RNA activity specifically in the
lung following a single injection, and demonstrate how siRNAs
delivered via our TheraSilence platform can specifically target
VEGFR-2 to inhibit tumor growth in the lung."
The data from the research collaboration was jointly published
in Molecular Therapy (January 2012,
Volume 20). The publication can be found on the Company's
website, http://celsion.com/files/polach-lung-paper.pdf under
Journal Articles and Publications.
GEN-2 leverages the TheraSilence delivery system and combines
two unique molecular targets involved in tumor regulation to
inhibit tumor growth and promote direct killing of tumor cells.
Among its capabilities as a platform for therapeutic application,
GEN-2 also has demonstrated an ability to incorporate short
interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting VEGFR-2, a tumor angiogenesis
factor, and a microRNA that is involved in tumor
inhibition.
The highlights of the presentation are included below:
- In a mouse lung tumor model, intravenous (IV) delivery of RNA
inhibiting VEGFR-2, a tumor angiogenesis factor, with the
TheraSilence delivery system resulted in significant knockdown of
VEGFR-2 transcript in lungs, reduction in tumor blood vessel
density and inhibition of tumor growth.
- Studies also demonstrated the ability of anti-miRNA delivered
via the TheraSilence system to inhibit miRNA-145, which is
associated with the pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial hypertension
(PAH). In a rat model of severe PAH, IV administration of
antimir-145 formulated with TheraSilence resulted in preferential
accumulation of the anti-miRNA in lungs, reduction in miRNA-145
transcript in lungs, and reversal of cardiopulmonary parameters
associated with the disease.
- Systemically administered RNA complexes using the TheraSilence
delivery system demonstrated a good tolerability profile.
- The presentation also describes ligand modification with the
TheraSilence platform to improve cell specificity of RNA delivery
in vitro.
"The results presented today highlight the potential of our
TheraSilence platform to provide unique treatment options for lung
diseases that are not addressable by conventional drugs,"
Michael H. Tardugno, Celsion's
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "While we remain
focused on advancing our clinical stage programs, ThermoDox® and
EGEN-001, we see significant value in this delivery platform and in
GEN-2 in particular. Our internal research and collaboration
with the University of S. Alabama
provide a robust basis to further explore GEN-2's utility and great
potential for novel treatments of various lung
diseases."
About Celsion Corporation
Celsion is a fully-integrated oncology company focused on
developing a portfolio of innovative cancer treatments, including
directed chemotherapies, immunotherapies and RNA- or DNA-based
therapies. The Company's lead program is ThermoDox®, a proprietary
heat-activated liposomal encapsulation of doxorubicin, currently in
Phase III development for the treatment of primary liver cancer.
The pipeline also includes EGEN-001, a DNA-based immunotherapy for
the localized treatment of ovarian and brain cancers. Celsion
has three platform technologies for the development of novel
nucleic acid-based immunotherapies and other anti-cancer DNA or RNA
therapies, including TheraPlas™, TheraSilence™ and RAST ™.
For more information on Celsion, visit our website:
http://www.celsion.com.
Celsion wishes to inform readers that forward-looking
statements in this release are made pursuant to the "safe harbor"
provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. Readers are cautioned that such forward-looking
statements involve risks and uncertainties including, without
limitation, unforeseen changes in the course of research and
development activities and in clinical trials; the uncertainties of
and difficulties in analyzing interim clinical data, particularly
in small subgroups that are not statistically significant; FDA and
regulatory uncertainties and risks; the significant expense, time,
and risk of failure of conducting clinical trials; the need for
Celsion to evaluate its future development plans; possible
acquisitions or licenses of other technologies, assets or
businesses or the possible failure to make such acquisitions or
licenses; possible actions by customers, suppliers, competitors,
regulatory authorities; and other risks detailed from time to time
in the Celsion's periodic reports and prospectuses filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. Celsion assumes no
obligation to update or supplement forward-looking statements that
become untrue because of subsequent events, new information or
otherwise.
Celsion Investor Contact
Jeffrey W. Church
Sr. Vice President and CFO
609-482-2455
jchurch@celsion.com
SOURCE Celsion Corporation