Ascentia Biomedical Corporation Further Defines Option Agreement With University of Washington for Anti-Cancer Compound
August 31 2005 - 10:25AM
PR Newswire (US)
BELLEVUE, Wash., Aug. 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ascentia
Biomedical Corporation (OTC Pink Sheets: ASCE), a leading
researcher and developer of efficacious pharmaceuticals, compounds
and other products, announces additional details on the novel
compounds covered in the option agreement with the University of
Washington, Seattle, WA. Dr. Keith Knutson (Mayo Clinic), an
internationally recognized oncology researcher and consultant and
member of Ascentia's Scientific Advisory Board who will spearhead
Ascentia's oncology research, discusses the potential use of these
compounds in the treatment of cancer. Dr. Knutson said, "It is now
well accepted that immunity to tumor antigens can be elicited with
the use of vaccines. Now, the major goal of the biotechnology
industry is to identify the vaccine adjuvants, called 'danger
signals,' which elicit an immune response that can destroy tumors.
Many currently tested molecules and compounds fail to activate
tumor rejection responses despite eliciting potent immunity. These
adjuvants have been shown to induce tumor rejection responses in a
mouse model of breast cancer, the neu-transgenic animal. As an
example of the adjuvant activity of these novel compounds, animals
that were immunized with tumor antigens along with the novel
adjuvants had tumors about 1/4th the size of control animals 50
days following tumor development. Furthermore, other adjuvants that
are known to enhance immunity when used in parallel studies failed
to control tumor growth. Another important finding was that the
inclusion of Ascentia's novel adjuvants led to a strong recall
response to antigens suggesting that the 'immunologic memory' was
induced, an ideal outcome of immunization that can lead to long
lasting protection against tumor." These compounds will also be
examined for additional indications: * As a treatment for sepsis, a
life-threatening condition caused by infection * As a treatment for
autoimmune disorders such as arthritis * As an adjuvant for
vaccines used in the prevention of multiple diseases. Dr. James
Clagett, President and CEO of Ascentia, said, "We are pleased and
excited about these early findings in the mouse model which is a
clinically relevant model of the human breast cancer. Ascentia's
scientific team plans to quickly conduct further testing of the
lead compound for cancer treatment in the effort to file it as an
Investigational New Drug (IND) with the FDA. Drs. Clagett (CEO) and
Reife (CSO) will lead the development of the other compounds for
the treatment of sepsis and autoimmune diseases and as vaccine
adjuvants." About Ascentia Biomedical Corporation Our focus is
SOLUTIONS through RESEARCH and DISCOVERY. Ascentia is developing
and commercializing new pharmaceutical and biomedical products for
application in a number of areas, including treatment for asthma,
arthritis, psoriasis and cancer. Initially, a majority of these
products will be secured through direct purchase or through
licensing. As the Company grows and evolves, more products will be
developed internally. Ascentia is focused on therapies for cancer
and diseases of inflammation. For more information visit the
Company's website at: http://www.ascentiabiomedical.com/ Certain
statements contained herein are "forward looking" statements as
such term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995. Because statements include risks and uncertainties,
actual results may differ materially from those expressed or
implied and include, but are not limited to, those discussed in
filings by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
DATASOURCE: Ascentia Biomedical Corporation CONTACT: Dr. James
Clagett, President & CEO of Ascentia Biomedical Corporation,
+1-425-462-5686; or investor relations, Jim Drewitz,
+1-972-355-6070, for Ascentia Biomedical Corporation Web site:
http://www.ascentiabiomedical.com/
Copyright