Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. Announces Poster Presentations Highlighting Clinical and Pre-Clinical Activity of KRX-0401 (Perif
December 07 2006 - 8:29AM
PR Newswire (US)
NEW YORK, Dec. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Keryx
Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:KERX) today announced that seven
abstracts related to KRX-0401 (perifosine) have been selected for
presentation during the poster sessions scheduled to take place at
the upcoming American Society of Hematology (ASH) 48th Annual
Meeting and Exposition at the Orange County Convention Center in
Orlando, Florida (December 9 - 12, 2006). Copies of these
abstracts, which highlight the mechanism of action of KRX- 0401
(perifosine), as well as observed clinical and preclinical
activity, are currently available and can be viewed on-line through
the ASH website: http://www.hematology.org/meetings/abstracts.cfm.
Selected abstracts include the following: Sunday, December 10th
(9:00am): * 2416 (Board #594-II) Molecular Mechanisms Regulating
Resistance to the Akt Inhibitor Perifosine in Waldenstroms
Macroglobulinemia, the Role of the ERK and PKC Pathways. Xavier
Leleu, Hai Ngo, Xiaoying Jia, Anne- Sophie Moreau, Evdoxia
Hatjiharisi, Ruben Carrasco, Garrett O'Sullivan, Judith Runnels,
Yu-Tsu Tai, Steven Treon, Teru Hideshima, Kenneth Anderson, Irene
Ghobrial * 2417 (Board #595-II) The PI3K/Akt Pathway Is an
Important Regulator of Homing and Adhesion in Waldenstroms
Macroglobulinemia. Xavier Leleu, Hai Ngo, Judy Runnels, Costas
Pitsillides, Joel Spencer, Anne-Sophie Moreau, Evdoxia Hatjiharisi,
Xiaoying Jia, Garrett O'Sullivan, Steven Treon, Teru Hideshima,
Charles Lin, Kenneth Anderson, Irene Ghobrial * 2488 (Board
#666-II) Perifosine, an Oral Bioactive Novel Akt Inhibitor, Induces
In Vitro and In Vivo Antitumor Activity in Waldenstrom
Macroglobulinemia. Xavier Leleu, X. Jia, Anne-Sophie Moreau,
Evdoxia Hatjiharisi, Hai Ngo, G. O'Sullivan, Daisy Moreno, Tanyel
Kiziltepe, Enrique Ocio, Allen Ho, Thierry Facon, Steven Treon,
Teru Hideshima, Kenneth Anderson, Irene Ghobrial * 2517 (Board
#695-II) Novel Agent Perifosine Enhances Antitumor Activity of
Bortezomib, Rituximab and Other Conventional Therapies in
Waldenstroms Macroglobulinemia. Xavier Leleu, G. O'Sullivan, X.
Jia, Anne-Sophie Moreau, Hai Ngo, Evdoxia Hatjiharisi, Hiroshi
Yasui, Zachary Hunter, Yu-Tsu Tai, Judith Runnels, Steven Treon,
Teru Hideshima, Kenneth Anderson, Irene Ghobrial Monday, December
11th (10:30am): * 3410 (Board #639-III) Akt Inhibitor
Perifosine-Induced Cytotoxicity Is Associated with Significant
Downregulation of Survivin in Human Multiple Myeloma (MM) Cells.
Teru Hideshima, Hiroshi Yasui, Laurence Catley, Noopur Raje,
Dharminder Chauhan, Kenji Ishitsuka, Klaus Podar, Constantine
Mitsiades, Yu-Tzu Tai, Sonia Vallet, Tanyel Kizitepe, Enrique Ocio,
Hiroshi Ikeda, Yutaka Okawa, Hiromasa Hideshima, Nikhil C. Munshi,
Paul G. Richardson, Kenneth C. Anderson * 3446 (Board #675-III)
Perifosine Induces DR4/DR5 Expression Leading to Apoptosis That Can
Be Enhanced with Exogenous TRAIL, and Blocked with Strategies
Directed at DR4/DR5 Inhibition. Ebenezer David, Rajni Sinha,
Jonathan L. Kaufman, Sagar Lonial * 3582 (Board #811-III) A
Multicenter Phase II Study of Perifosine (KRX- 0401) Alone and in
Combination with Dexamethasone (Dex) for Patients with Relapsed or
Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma (MM). Paul Richardson, S.
Lonial, A. Jakubowiak, J. Wolf, A. Krishnan, J. Densmore, S.
Singhal, I. Ghobrial, L. Schwartzberg, K. Colson, J. Harris, T.
Kendall, B. Martineau, N. Obadike, K. Sullivan, S. Pearson, T.
Hideshima, L. Lai, P. Sportelli, L. Gardner, R. Birch, I.C.
Henderson, K.C. Anderson KRX-0401 (perifosine) is in-licensed by
Keryx from Aeterna Zentaris, Inc. (TSX: AEZ; Nasdaq: AEZS), in the
United States, Canada and Mexico. About KRX-0401 (Perifosine)
KRX-0401 is a novel, first-in-class, oral anticancer agent that
modulates AKT and a number of other key signal transduction
pathways, including the MAPK and JNK pathways. It has demonstrated
preliminary single agent anti-tumor activity and is currently in a
phase II clinical program where it is being studied both as a
single agent and in combination with other anti-cancer treatments
for multiple forms of cancer. KRX-0401, or perifosine, is the
prototype of a new group of anti-cancer drugs referred to as
alkylphosphocholines that block proliferation and induce the
apoptosis of cancer cells. This effect is relatively specific for
cancer cells compared to normal cells. The mechanism of action for
these drugs is not clear. They are known to modulate signaling in a
number of pathways known to function abnormally during the
development of cancer. One of the pathways inhibited by the
alkylphosphocholines is Akt, a pathway associated with tumor
survival and growth. Akt is considered to be one of the most
important cancer targets being researched today. ABOUT KERYX
BIOPHARMACEUTICALS, INC. Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. is focused
on the acquisition, development and commercialization of novel
pharmaceutical products for the treatment of life-threatening
diseases, including diabetes and cancer. Keryx's lead compound
under development is KRX-101 (sulodexide), a first-in-class, oral
heparinoid compound for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy, a
life- threatening kidney disease caused by diabetes. KRX-101 is in
a pivotal Phase 3 and Phase 4 clinical program under a Special
Protocol Assessment with the Food & Drug Administration.
Additionally, Keryx is developing clinical-stage oncology
compounds, including KRX-0401, a novel, first-in-class, oral
modulator of Akt, a pathway associated with tumor survival and
growth, and other important signal transduction pathways. KRX-0401
is currently in Phase 2 clinical development for multiple tumor
types. Keryx also has an active in- licensing and acquisition
program designed to identify and acquire additional drug
candidates. Keryx is headquartered in New York City. KERYX CONTACT:
Ron Renaud, CFO Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. Tel: 212.531.5965
E-mail: DATASOURCE: Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. CONTACT: Ron
Renaud, CFO, Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., +1-212-531-5965, Web
site: http://www.keryx.com/
http://www.hematology.org/meetings/abstracts.cfm
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