DALLAS, June 26 TX-Access-Pharm-Data
DALLAS, June 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ACCESS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
(OTC Bulletin Board: ACCP) announced that the Company gave an oral
presentation yesterday on its monoclonal antibody product, Angiolix(R), at the
7th International Congress on Recombinant Antibodies, held in Dublin, Ireland.
Dr. Agamemnon Epenetos, Access' Chief Scientific Officer -- Europe, presented
data showing that Angiolix has the potential to prevent the growth of cancer
stem cells.
Dr. Epenetos commented, "There is a growing body of evidence that
indicates that tumor progression, dissemination and metastases result from
cancer stem cells rather than the other cells which form the bulk of a cancer.
As a result, therapies which attack these tumor cells will delay the onset of
progression, but rarely cure the disease. Cancer stem cells are a subgroup of
cancer cells that can be resistant to standard treatments, so agents like
Angiolix, which have the potential to thwart cancer stem cells, hold great
promise for the future treatment and eradication of cancer."
Access' monoclonal antibody product, Angiolix, blocks angiogenesis by
inhibiting a novel receptor called lactadherin. Lactadherin causes
angiogenesis through a VEGF dependent mechanism. Several other drugs have been
developed or are in development to block VEGF and VEGF induced angiogenesis,
such as Avastin.
In the presentation, Dr. Epenetos showed that Angiolix has been shown not
only to block new blood vessels in tumors, in a similar manner to other anti
VEGF drugs like Avastin, but that it could additionally have a direct killing
effect on tumor cells potentially including cancer stem cells that are
involved in angiogenesis and metastasis.
Access Pharmaceuticals is currently conducting key preclinical studies at
Imperial College London, UK to assess the efficacy of Angiolix in a wide range
of tumor models. These studies aim to demonstrate the potential efficacy of
Angiolix as a monotherapy and in combination with conventional chemotherapy
regimes, as well as compare its efficacy with other anti-angiogenesis drugs,
such as Avastin.
The Company is actively seeking potential partners for the further
clinical development of Angiolix, a drug which holds great promise as an
anti-vascular cancer therapy.
About Access:
Access Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is an emerging biopharmaceutical company that
develops and commercializes propriety products for the treatment and
supportive care of cancer patients. Access' products include ProLindac(TM),
currently in Phase 2 clinical testing of patients with ovarian cancer, and
MuGard(TM) for the management of patients with mucositis. The company also has
other advanced drug delivery technologies including Cobalamin(TM)-mediated
targeted delivery and oral drug delivery, its proprietary nanopolymer delivery
technology based on the natural vitamin B12 uptake mechanism; Angiolix(R), a
humanized monoclonal antibody which acts as an anti-angiogenesis factor and is
targeted to breast cancer; Prodrax(R), a non-toxic prodrug which is activated
in the hypoxic zones of solid tumors to kill cancer cells; Alchemix, a
chemotherapeutic agent that combines multiple modes of action to overcome drug
resistance. For additional information on Access Pharmaceuticals, please visit
our website at http://www.accesspharma.com.
This press release contains certain statements that are forward-looking
within the meaning of Section 27a of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
and that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements include those
relating to: our ability to close the financing transaction, early results
from our clinical trial, Access' plans to continue and initiate clinical
trials, the value of its products in the market, its ability to achieve
clinical and commercial success and its ability to successfully develop
marketed products. These statements are subject to numerous risks, including
but not limited to Access' need to obtain additional financing in order to
continue the clinical trial and operations and to the risks detailed in
Access' Annual Report on Form 10-K and other reports filed by Access with the
Securities and Exchange Commission.
SOURCE Access Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
