QUEBEC CITY, Sept. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - Aeterna Zentaris
Inc. (NASDAQ: AEZS) (TSX: AEZ) (the "Company") today announced
that a poster on its oral prostate cancer vaccine candidate,
AEZS-120, will be on display at the upcoming 32nd
Congress of the Société Internationale d'Urologie which will
be held September 30 through October 4,
2012 at the Fukuoka
International Congress Center in Fukuoka,
Japan.
The abstract #839 titled, "Pre-Clinical Proof of Concept and
Characterization of AEZS-120, a Therapeutic Oral Prostate Cancer
Vaccine Candidate Based on Live Recombinant Attenuated
Salmonella", J. Fensterle, B. Bergmann, M. Teifel, J. Engel, T.
Rudel, W. Goebel, U. Rapp, underlines the feasibility of an oral
therapeutic vaccination approach against prostate cancer. The
safety pharmacology and toxicology experiments suggest that the
profile of AEZS-120 is similar to the approved carrier strain and,
therefore, pave the way for Phase 1 clinical testing.
About AEZS-120
AEZS-120 is a live recombinant oral tumor vaccine candidate
based on Salmonella typhi Ty21a as a carrier strain.
Salmonella typhi Ty21a is an approved oral typhoid vaccine
which has been safely applied in more than 350 million doses. The
principle of AEZS-120 is based on the recombinant expression of
prostate specific antigen fused to the B subunit of cholera toxin
and a secretion signal in the presence of the Escherichia
coli type I hemolysin secretion system. The proprietary system
allows the secretion of the antigen together with an immunological
adjuvant which has been demonstrated to be required for optimal
induction of CD8 T-cell responses by recombinant Salmonella
based bacterial vaccines. The proof-of-concept was already
demonstrated for the mouse homologue of AEZS-120 in a mouse
tumor-challenge model.
In general, by varying the antigen and/or the carrier, this
proprietary platform technology is suitable for virtually any
therapeutic or prophylactic vaccine indication with a relatively
favorable cost of goods expectation in large scale.
About Aeterna Zentaris
Aeterna Zentaris is an oncology and endocrinology drug
development company currently investigating treatments for various
unmet medical needs. The Company's pipeline encompasses compounds
at all stages of development, from drug discovery through to
marketed products. For more information please visit
www.aezsinc.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements made
pursuant to the safe harbour provisions of the U.S. Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve
known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause the
Company's actual results to differ materially from those in the
forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include,
among others, the availability of funds and resources to pursue
R&D projects, the successful and timely completion of clinical
studies, the risk that safety and efficacy data from any of our
Phase 3 trials may not coincide with the data analyses from
previously reported Phase 1 and/or Phase 2 clinical trials, the
ability of the Company to take advantage of business opportunities
in the pharmaceutical industry, uncertainties related to the
regulatory process and general changes in economic conditions.
Investors should consult the Company's quarterly and annual filings
with the Canadian and U.S. securities commissions for additional
information on risks and uncertainties relating to forward-looking
statements. Investors are cautioned not to rely on these
forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to
update these forward-looking statements. We disclaim any obligation
to update any such factors or to publicly announce the result of
any revisions to any of the forward-looking statements contained
herein to reflect future results, events or developments, unless
required to do so by a governmental authority or by applicable
law.
SOURCE AETERNA ZENTARIS INC.