Amorfix announces breakthrough scientific discovery and provides update for its ovarian cancer therapeutic antibody program
TSX: AMF
TORONTO, April 9, 2013 /CNW/ - Amorfix Life Sciences announced today it has completed a study that shows that the treatment of cancer cells with chemotherapeutic agents increases the amount of misfolded prion protein at the cell surface, and the subsequent binding of anti-prion protein antibodies. The increased expression is specific to tumor cells and is not seen on normal ovarian cells. In addition, the Company reports the completion of the first in a series of studies with its anti-misfolded prion protein antibody in animal models of ovarian cancer with promising preliminary results on reducing tumor volume.
"These data demonstrating the increased expression of misfolded proteins on the surface of tumor cells following exposure to standard chemotherapeutic agents suggest that when co-administered with chemotherapy as a standard therapeutic regimen, our antibodies will have greater tumor killing capacity with no consequences to normal cells" said Amorfix CSO, Co-founder and Chairman of the Board Dr. Neil Cashman.
There is now a growing effort and subsequent scientific literature describing the advantages of combination therapy when treating a variety of cancers. Amorfix's new data suggests that a combination of standard chemotherapy and anti-misfolded prion protein antibodies may have an enhanced tumor killing effect as compared to either treatment alone.
The Company's anti-misfolded prion protein antibody binds to disease specific epitopes (DSEs), which were identified with the ProMIS™ Discovery platform, that are expressed on the cell surface of ovarian tumors but not on normal ovarian cells. The antibody and an antibody-urease conjugate are being tested in a number of ovarian cancer animal models. In this initial study, the antibody urease conjugate showed a reduction in median and mean tumor volume as compared to the non-treated group, however, because of the extremely aggressive nature of this stringent model, a meaningful statistical analysis of these data was not possible. Based on these initial promising findings, additional tumor studies are in progress.
"Amorfix continues to use its world-class scientific expertise and proprietary technology to pave the way towards next generation targeted therapeutics to treat cancer," said Dr. Robert Gundel, Amorfix President and CEO. "These most recent results with our cancer therapeutic antibody program represent the kind of ground breaking research that is occurring at Amorfix which creates value for our shareholders and the promise for better treatments for human disease. Now that we have promising preliminary data with our antibody conjugate in animal model, we are moving our programs forward as quickly as possible to evaluate the effects of our antibodies and antibody conjugate administered in combination with chemotherapeutic drugs."
The ability to successfully treat solid tumors remains difficult in part because of a lack of understanding of the complex biology of tumors that allow them to avoid the immune system and grow, spread and invade vital organs. Early drugs developed for the treatment of cancer include chemotherapeutic agents that non-specifically kill rapidly dividing cells which include normal cells as well as tumor cells. As a result, these agents have significant side effects that compromise the ability to effectively eradicate tumors. More recently there has been a large effort by both academic institutions and pharmaceutical companies to develop targeted therapeutics that would have a greater killing effect on tumors compared to normal cells. There is increasing interest in the scientific community to explore the advantages of combination therapy when treating a variety of cancers.
About the ProMIS Discovery Technology
Amorfix's proprietary drug discovery technology, ProMIS™, is a computer based algorithm that predicts Disease Specific Epitopes (DSEs), those regions of proteins most likely to misfold in diseases. Misfolded proteins are found in numerous diseased cells, including various cancers and neurodegenerative diseases. The Company uses this technology to identify DSEs that are only expressed on tumor cells and not normal cells and enables it to develop antibodies that only bind to and kill tumor cells without affecting normal cells. Using this technology, Amorfix has the potential to create antibody therapeutics that are more efficacious and have a much better safety profile, with fewer side effects than current cancer therapeutics.
About Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cancer among women, and it causes more deaths than any other type of female reproductive cancer. Most deaths from ovarian cancer occur in women age 55 and older. Ovarian cancer is often not diagnosed until late-stage disease when the cancer has spread to other organs in the body, which contributes to the short survival time following diagnosis. Ovarian cancer is typically treated with surgery and chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is not very effective as a treatment and is associated with a number of potential dose-limiting side effects due to its non-specific killing of both tumour and normal cells.
About Amorfix
Amorfix Life Sciences Ltd. (TSX:AMF) is an early-stage product development company developing therapeutic antibodies and diagnostics targeting misfolded protein diseases. Amorfix utilizes its computational discovery platform, ProMIS™, to predict novel Disease Specific Epitopes (DSEs) on the molecular surface of misfolded proteins. Using this technology, Amorfix is developing novel antibody therapeutics and companion diagnostics for cancer and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In addition, Amorfix has developed two proprietary technologies to specifically identify very low levels of misfolded proteins in a biological sample: Epitope Protection™ and AMFIA™, an ultra-sensitive dual-bead immunoassay. Use of these technologies has generated a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) screening test for both Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and an ultrasensitive method for detecting the hallmark of AD, aggregated beta-Amyloid, in brain tissue, CSF and blood from animal models of AD. For more information about Amorfix, visit www.amorfix.com.
The TSX has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This information release may contain certain forward-looking information. Such information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by statements herein, and therefore these statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. All forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to it as well as other factors. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Due to risks and uncertainties, including the risks and uncertainties identified by the Company in its public securities filings, actual events may differ materially from current expectations. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required by law.
ProMIS™, Epitope Protection™ and AMFIA™ are trademarks of Amorfix Life Sciences Ltd.
SOURCE: Amorfix Life Sciences Ltd.
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Dr. Robert Gundel
President and Chief Executive Officer
Amorfix Life Sciences Ltd.
Tel: (416) 847-6957
Fax: (416) 847-6899
[email protected]
Warren Whitehead
Chief Financial Officer
Amorfix Life Sciences Ltd.
Tel: (416) 644-7358
Fax: (416) 847-6899
[email protected]
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