Palatin Technologies, Inc. Announces PL-3994 Poster Presentation at 2009 Heart Failure Society of America Annual Meeting
September 15 2009 - 7:30AM
PR Newswire (US)
CRANBURY, N.J., Sept. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Palatin
Technologies, Inc. (NYSE Amex: PTN) announced that a poster on
clinical trial results with PL-3994, its product for heart failure,
will be presented today at the 13th Annual Scientific Meeting of
the Heart Failure Society of America in Boston. The poster presents
data from a Phase 2A study of PL-3994 in controlled hypertensive
volunteers who were taking antihypertensive medications and
otherwise healthy. The study is preparatory to planned future
trials, in which heart failure patients will receive daily
subcutaneous injections of PL-3994 with the objective of reducing
the re-hospitalization rate in heart failure patients after an
acutely decompensating event. "This study supports our hypothesis
that PL-3994 can safely be administered to patients receiving
antihypertensive medications, such as heart failure patients," said
Trevor Hallam, Ph.D., Executive Vice President of Research and
Development of Palatin. "We are excited by the potential for
PL-3994, which is the only reported natriuretic peptide drug being
developed for daily, subcutaneous, self-administration by heart
failure patients." Key Results PL-3994 was administered by
subcutaneous injection to volunteers with controlled hypertension,
with key results including: -- Increases in plasma concentrations
of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) levels, a pharmacological
response consistent with the effects of endogenous natriuretic
peptides on cardiovascular function, similar to results seen in an
earlier Phase 1 study. -- A maximum tolerated dose of 0.3
micrograms per kilogram, based upon a pre-specified decrease in
blood pressure. -- PL-3994 was well tolerated, with no serious
adverse events observed in the study population. About PL-3994
PL-3994 is a natriuretic peptide-A receptor agonist compound
developed by Palatin Technologies for treatment of heart failure.
PL-3994 has an extended half-life, with reduced affinity for
natriuretic peptide clearance receptors and increased resistance to
neutral endopeptidase, an endogenous enzyme that degrades
natriuretic peptides. PL-3994 is being developed as a
subcutaneously administered drug, and is well absorbed through this
route of administration. Commercial Opportunity PL-3994 is being
developed for daily subcutaneous self-administration by heart
failure patients to decrease re-hospitalization rates for heart
failure. Heart failure affects over 5.7 million people in the
United States, with 670,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Despite
the treatment of heart failure with multiple drugs, the prognosis
remains poor. There were over 1.1 million hospitalizations for
heart failure in 2006 in the United States, with projected direct
and indirect costs of heart failure in the United States for 2009
of $37.2 billion. About Palatin Technologies, Inc. Palatin
Technologies, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on
discovering and developing targeted, receptor-specific small
molecule and peptide therapeutics. Palatin's strategy is to develop
products and then form marketing collaborations with industry
leaders in order to maximize their commercial potential. For
additional information regarding Palatin, please visit Palatin
Technologies' website at http://www.palatin.com/. Forward-looking
Statements Statements about future expectations of Palatin
Technologies, Inc., including statements about its development
programs, proposed indications for its product candidates, clinical
activities, marketing collaborations, and all other statements in
this document other than historical facts, 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 as
that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995. Palatin intends that such forward-looking statements
be subject to the safe harbors created thereby. Palatin's actual
results may differ materially from those discussed in the
forward-looking statements for various reasons, including, but not
limited to Palatin's ability to fund development of its technology,
ability to establish and successfully complete clinical trials and
pre-clinical studies and the results of those trials and studies,
dependence on its partners for certain development activities, need
for regulatory approvals and commercial acceptance of its products,
ability to protect its intellectual property, and other factors
discussed in the Palatin's periodic filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. Palatin is not responsible for updating for
events that occur after the date of this press release. DATASOURCE:
Palatin Technologies, Inc. CONTACT: Investors, Stephen T. Wills,
CPA, MST, EVP-Operations / Chief Financial Officer of Palatin
Technologies, Inc., +1-609-495-2200, ; Media, Susan Neath of Burns
McClellan, +1-212-213-0006, Web Site: http://www.palatin.com/
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