ROCKVILLE, Md., April 18, 2017 (GLOBE
NEWSWIRE) -- Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Sucampo) (NASDAQ:SCMP),
a global biopharmaceutical company, today announced the publication
of a new study in an independent scientific journal that confirms
the unique composition of VTS-270, a
2-Hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HPßCD) product under
investigation as a novel treatment for Niemann-Pick Disease Type C1
(NPC-1).
NPC-1 is a rare, progressive and ultimately lethal
genetic disorder affecting an estimated 2,000-3,000 patients
globally. The results were published today in an article entitled,
"Characterization of hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrins used in the
treatment of Niemann-Pick Disease type C1," in PLOS ONE, the world's first multidisciplinary, Open
Access journal, and are available
at http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0175478.
In this study, researchers demonstrated that
VTS-270 has a low degree of consistently specific
hydroxypropylation, or degree of substitution (DS), as well as a
low level of doubly charged hetero-dimers as seen through an ion
mobility false color representation, or heat map. The analysis was
based on ion distribution and abundance profiles using mass
spectrometry methodology as a means for assessing key molecular
activity.
"We are continuing to advance the science around
VTS-270 as a potential treatment for NPC," said Peter Kiener, D.
Phil, Chief Scientific Officer of Sucampo. "These study results
further support the specific compositional fingerprint and purity
of VTS-270 that distinguishes it from other HPßCD mixtures. The
defined and reproducible fingerprint is likely inextricably linked
to the specific potential clinical efficacy and safety of
VTS-270."
HPßCDs are complex mixtures of different species,
and variations in production may lead to differences in composition
including differing degrees of hydroxypropylation of the
cyclodextrin ring, also known as degrees of substitution. The
average degree of substitution is a critical characteristic of the
complexity of HPßCDs mixtures, as it influences the ability to bind
to other molecules, and affects the degree of aqueous solubility,
both of which may ultimately influence the biological activity.
About Sucampo
Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is focused on the
development and commercialization of specialized medicines that
meet major unmet medical needs of patients worldwide. Sucampo has
two marketed products - AMITIZA, its lead product, and RESCULA -
and a late-stage pipeline of product candidates in clinical
development for orphan disease areas. VTS-270 is a mixture of
2-hydroxypropyl-B-cyclodextrins with a specific compositional
fingerprint that has been granted orphan designation in the U.S.
and Europe and is in a pivotal Phase 2/3 clinical trial for the
treatment of Niemann-Pick Disease Type C-1. Sucampo has an
option for the North American rights to CPP1-x/sulindac, which is
in Phase 3 development for the treatment of familial adenomatous
polyposis and has been granted orphan drug designation in the
U.S. A global company, Sucampo is headquartered in Rockville,
Maryland, and has operations in Japan and Switzerland. For more
information, please visit www.sucampo.com.
The Sucampo logo and the tagline, The Science of
Innovation, are registered trademarks of Sucampo AG. AMITIZA is a
registered trademark of Sucampo AG.
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Contact:
Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Silvia Taylor
Senior Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Affairs
1-240-223-3718
staylor@sucampo.com