SYDNEY, March 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- US-Australian drug
discovery company, Novogen Ltd, (ASX:NRT; NASDAQ:NVGN) and its
subsidiary, CanTx, Inc., and Yale
University, on March 27
released pre-clinical data on experimental anti-cancer drug,
Cantrixil. The data was presented as an oral presentation by
Professor Gil Mor MD PhD of
Yale Medical School to the
62nd Annual Scientific Meeting of the Society of
Reproductive Investigation in San
Francisco, CA.
In both in vitro and in animal studies, Cantrixil, has proved
highly effective at killing human ovarian stem (tumor-initiating)
cells, cells that otherwise are highly resistant to standard of
care cytotoxic drugs and which generally are believed to be
responsible for diseases recurrence following initial therapy.
Researchers have been keen to understand how the active ingredient
in Cantrixil, TRXE-002, is able to achieve this effect where other
drugs have failed.
The data shows that Cantrixil specifically activates the JNK-Jun
pathway leading to mitochondrial damage and the induction of genes
associated with cell death (apoptosis). In addition, Cantrixil
blocks the survival pathway pERK. The combination of these two
cellular effects (down-regulation of pro-survival and up-regulation
of pro-death pathways) provides a unique advantage to target
chemo-resistant cancer stem cells.
Cantrixil is due to enter its first-in-man study in
late-2015. The study will enroll patients with the terminal
condition, malignant ascites, associated with late-stage abdominal
carcinomatosis of various types of cancer, but mainly targeting
ovarian cancer and colo-rectal cancer.
About Cantrixil
Cantrixil is a cyclodextrin envelope containing the active
ingredient, TRXE-002. The construct has been designed as an
intra-cavity chemotherapy to be injected directly into the
peritoneal and pleural cavities without causing local irritation or
toxicity. Its purpose is to achieve high drug levels in the
environment in which the cancer is spreading through the migration
of the cancer stem cells are spreading. The ultimate primary
indication of Cantrixil to be sought is first-line therapy of
early-stage cancers of the abdominal cavity (eg. ovarian, uterine,
colo-rectal and gastric carcinomas). Cantrixil will enter the
clinic in later-stage cancers where the abdominal carcinomatosis
has resulted in the terminal condition of malignant ascites.
Cantrixil is owned by CanTx, Inc.
About TRXE-002
TRXE-002 is a small molecule cytotoxic belonging to a family of
compounds whose anti-cancer function is based on various biological
effects including inhibition of trans-membrane electron-transfer
mechanisms. TRXE-002 is pan anti-cancer acting, resulting in
caspase-dependent apoptosis of both stem cell-like cancer cells and
their daughter cancer cells. The compound has a high therapeutic
index with little cytotoxic effect on non-tumor cells.
About CanTx, Inc.
CanTx is a joint venture company between Novogen and
Yale University. Novogen has licensed
the drug candidate, TRXE-002, to CanTx for use in Cantrixil. CanTx
is based in New Haven, CT.
Further information is available on www.can-tx.com
About Novogen Limited
Novogen is a public, Australian-US drug-development company
whose shares trade on both the Australian Securities Exchange
('NRT') and NASDAQ ('NVGN'). The Novogen group includes US-based,
CanTx Inc, a joint venture company with Yale
University.
Novogen has two main drug technology platforms:
super-benzopyrans (SBPs) and anti-tropomyosins (ATMs). SBP
compounds have been designed to kill the full heterogeneity of
cells within a tumor, but with particular activity against the
cancer stem (tumor-initiating) cell.
The ATM compounds target the micro-filament component of the
cancer cell's cytoskeleton and have been designed to combine with
anti-microtubule drugs (taxanes, vinca alkaloids) to produce
comprehensive and fatal destruction of the cancer cell
cytoskeleton.
The Company pipeline comprises two SBP drug candidates
(TRXE-002, TRXE-009) and one ATM drug candidate
(Anisina).
Further information is available on our website
www.novogen.com.
For more information please contact:
Corporate
Contact
Dr. Graham
Kelly
Executive Chairman
& CEO
Novogen
Group
Graham.Kelly@novogen.com
+61 (0) 2 9472
4100
|
Media
Enquiries
Cristyn
Humphreys
Chief Operating
Officer
Novogen
Group
Cristyn.Humphreys@novogen.com
+61 (0) 2 9472
4111
|
Forward Looking Statement
This press release contains "forward-looking statements"
within the meaning of section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and
section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The
Company has tried to identify such forward-looking statements by
use of such words as "expects," "appear," "intends," "hopes,"
"anticipates," "believes," "could," "should," "would," "may,"
"target," "evidences" and "estimates," and other similar
expressions, but these words are not the exclusive means of
identifying such statements. Such statements include, but are
not limited to any statements relating to the Company's drug
development program, including, but not limited to the initiation,
progress and outcomes of clinical trials of the Company's drug
development program, including, but not limited to, Cantrixil and
TRXE-002, and any other statements that are not historical
facts. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties,
including, but not limited to, those risks and uncertainties
relating to the difficulties or delays in financing, development,
testing, regulatory approval, production and marketing of the
Company's drug components, including, but not limited to Cantrixil
and TRXE-002, the ability of the Company to procure additional
future sources of financing, unexpected adverse side effects or
inadequate therapeutic efficacy of the Company's drug compounds,
including, but not limited to, Cantrixil and TRXE-002, that could
slow or prevent products coming to market, the uncertainty of
patent protection for the Company's intellectual property or trade
secrets, including, but not limited to, the intellectual property
relating to Cantrixil and TRXE-002, and other risks detailed
from time to time in the filings the Company makes with Securities
and Exchange Commission including its annual reports on Form 20-F
and its reports on Form 6-K. Such statements are based on
management's current expectations, but actual results may differ
materially due to various factions including those risks and
uncertainties mentioned or referred to in this press release.
Accordingly, you should not rely on those forward-looking
statements as a prediction of actual future results.
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SOURCE Novogen Ltd