HOUSTON, Oct. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Moleculin
Biotech, Inc., (Nasdaq: MBRX) (Moleculin or the Company), a
clinical stage pharmaceutical company with a broad portfolio of
drug candidates targeting significant unmet needs in the treatment
of tumors and viruses, announced preliminary new findings from its
research collaboration with the Rega Institute in Leuven,
Belgium, that demonstrate its drug
candidates, WP1096 and WP1097, are showing significant in vitro
activity in a range of infectious diseases. In addition to
activity against SARS-CoV-2, antiviral activity has now been
documented for HIV, Zika and Dengue Fever.
WP1096 and its close analog, WP1097, are structurally slightly
different agents within the Company's WP1122 portfolio. While the
Company is continuing its preclinical development work on WP1122,
including in vivo testing for SARS-CoV-2, it has now expanded its
infectious disease program to include these two molecules. In
addition, the Company continues to drive the clinical development
of Annamycin, which is currently being studied for the treatment of
relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia, and WP1066, which
targets brain tumors, pancreatic cancer and hematologic
malignancies.
Walter Klemp, Chairman and CEO of
Moleculin, stated, "We recently announced the discovery that these
new molecules have significant in vitro activity in SARS-CoV-2 that
may be due to mechanistic differences from other molecules in the
WP1122 portfolio. Now, we are looking at the possibility that
our portfolio of antimetabolites can address a wide range of
infectious diseases beyond COVID-19."
Mr. Klemp continued, "In the case of Zika and Dengue Fever,
there are no viable therapies, so we think this study garners the
potential to involve possible governmental entities to assist in
the development of and provide funding for the first ever
treatments for these important diseases."
Mr. Klemp concluded, "Even though there is already a
$20 billion US market for currently
approved treatments for HIV, we believe that there is now a growing
concern that drug resistance may begin to put more HIV patients at
risk. We believe that our antimetabolites potentially
represent an entirely new mechanism of action to the HIV
therapeutic line-up. The significance to Moleculin
shareholders is that we believe the business opportunity for
Moleculin has now potentially gotten much bigger than just
COVID-19."
About Moleculin Biotech, Inc.
Moleculin Biotech, Inc. is a clinical stage pharmaceutical
company focused on the development of a broad portfolio of oncology
drug candidates for the treatment of highly resistant tumors and
viruses. The Company's clinical stage drugs are: Annamycin, a Next
Generation Anthracycline, designed to avoid multidrug resistance
mechanisms with little to no cardiotoxicity being studied for the
treatment of relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia, more
commonly referred to as AML, WP1066, an Immune/Transcription
Modulator capable of inhibiting p-STAT3 and other oncogenic
transcription factors while also stimulating a natural immune
response, targeting brain tumors, pancreatic cancer and hematologic
malignancies, and WP1220, an analog to WP1066, for the topical
treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Moleculin is also engaged
in preclinical development of additional drug candidates, including
other Immune/Transcription Modulators, as well as WP1122 and
related compounds capable of Metabolism/Glycosylation
Inhibition.
For more information about the Company, please visit
http://www.moleculin.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Some of the statements in
this release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of
Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve risks and
uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this press release
include, without limitation, the ability of its antimetabolite drug
candidates to be shown safe and effective for infectious diseases
and the ability of the Company to secure expedited development and
funding assistance from governmental entities. Although Moleculin
believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking
statements are reasonable as of the date made, expectations may
prove to have been materially different from the results expressed
or implied by such forward-looking statements. Moleculin Biotech
has attempted to identify forward-looking statements by terminology
including ''believes,'' ''estimates,'' ''anticipates,''
''expects,'' ''plans,'' ''projects,'' ''intends,'' ''potential,''
''may,'' ''could,'' ''might,'' ''will,'' ''should,''
''approximately'' or other words that convey uncertainty of future
events or outcomes to identify these forward-looking statements.
These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown
risks, uncertainties, and other factors, including those discussed
under Item 1A. "Risk Factors" in our most recently filed Form 10-K
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and
updated from time to time in our Form 10-Q filings and in our other
public filings with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements
contained in this release speak only as of its date. We undertake
no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in
this release to reflect events or circumstances occurring after its
date or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
Contacts
James Salierno / Carol Ruth
The Ruth Group
973-255-8361 / 917-859-0214
jsalierno@theruthgroup.com
cruth@theruthgroup.com
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SOURCE Moleculin Biotech, Inc.