AVI BioPharma to Present at the UBS Global Life Sciences Conference
September 22 2008 - 9:30AM
Marketwired
AVI BioPharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVII), a developer of RNA-based drugs,
today announced that Dr. Leslie Hudson, AVI's President and CEO,
will present an update on the continuing transition of AVI from an
antisense pioneer into a leading discoverer and developer of
RNA-based drugs. The corporate overview will include an update on
AVI's Duchenne muscular dystrophy program (DMD), its biodefense
projects (which include significant data from the Company's ongoing
Ebola and Marburg virus programs in collaboration with the
Department of Defense), its partnership with Cook Medical in the
development of a new, innovative drug eluting stent for the
prevention of cardiovascular restenosis, and the Company's renewed
focus on developing partnerships and collaborations to forward
other promising programs based on AVI's proprietary compounds and
their novel RNA-based applications.
The Company's update on its DMD program will encompass both its
current and planned clinical trials in the UK as well as the latest
peer reviewed publications from AVI and its collaborators,
including the most recent report in Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences, which was highlighted in a press release
issued by the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) on September
15th. The MDA announced that researchers using AVI's latest
generation of drug candidates -- coordinated by MDA grantee Qi Long
Lu at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, N.C. -- showed that an
experimental treatment for DMD in preclinical models known as "exon
skipping" can now treat the heart, in addition to other muscles
affected by DMD.
This is an independent confirmation of data published by AVI
researchers earlier this month (September 2008 issue of Molecular
Therapy) in which the compound, known as PPMO M23D-B, was used for
the systemic treatment of dystrophin-deficient animals and produced
high and sustained dystrophin protein production in cardiac,
diaphragm and skeletal muscles without detectable toxicity.
Exon skipping is a strategy in which proprietary
laboratory-developed chemical sequences known as "PMOs" and "PPMOs"
are used to block specific sections (exons) of a gene. These
chemical sequences are designed to target a specific exon that
contains an error (mutation) and allow the cell to splice together
the surrounding normal parts of the gene. Until now, exon skipping
has not been effective in the heart of DMD preclinical models.
Because balanced de novo dystrophin expression in the heart,
diaphragm and skeletal muscles could be important for the most
desirable therapeutic outcomes in DMD, these results are a
significant extension of the experimental capabilities of the
current generation of exon skipping drug candidates.
The UBS Global Life Sciences Conference runs from Monday,
September 22 through Thursday, September 25 at the Grand Hyatt
Hotel in New York City. Dr. Hudson's presentation is on Thursday,
September 25 and is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. in Ballroom E.
UBS will be webcasting the presentation live in audio only format
to investors via the www.ibb.ubs.com website.
About AVI BioPharma
AVI BioPharma is focused on the discovery and development of
RNA-based drugs using the company's expanded portfolio of
proprietary antisense compounds (PMOs). The company's technology
applications leverage distinct mechanisms of action in a range of
genetic diseases, genetic disorders and the genetic code of
disease-causing organisms. The emerging field of directed
alternative RNA splicing represents AVI's newest and most exciting
application based on the company's core antisense technology.
Functional attributes of this approach may include correcting
genetic defects (RNA mutations; which AVI believes could produce
promising treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy), coding for
novel soluble receptors (an exciting and novel approach which could
have application in the treatment of inflammatory diseases such as
rheumatoid arthritis), and the reduction in activity of immune
modulators in disease states (currently being applied to IL-10).
AVI's RNA-based drug programs also include blocking mRNA
translation. In AVI's biodefense program, this application has been
successful against the single-stranded RNA viruses Ebola Zaire and
Marburg Musoke in non-human primates and may have value against
other viral targets such as HCV, Dengue, Junin, influenza and RSV
viruses. This application also will be evaluated in the clinic for
the treatment of cardiovascular restenosis by our partner Cook
Medical. More information about AVI is available at
www.avibio.com.
"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995: The statements that are not historical facts
contained in this release are forward-looking statements that
involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the
results of research and development efforts, the results of
preclinical and clinical testing, the effect of regulation by the
FDA and other agencies, the impact of competitive products, product
development, commercialization and technological difficulties, and
other risks detailed in the company's Securities and Exchange
Commission filings.
AVI Press and Investor Contact: Michael Hubbard Email Contact
Director of Corporate Communications (503) 227-0554
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