21st Jul 2009 07:00
21 July 2009
Vernalis Announces New Oncology Development Candidate
Chk1 plays a crucial role in tumour cell survival
Development of new candidate hoped to improve efficacy of cytotoxic drugs
Vernalis plc (LSE: VER) today announces it has selected a development candidate, V158411 from its Checkpoint Kinase 1 (Chk1) research programme in oncology.
Following treatment with cytotoxic drugs, some cancer cells use the Chk1 pathway to increase cell survival by pausing DNA replication and allowing repair of the damaged DNA before completing cell division. Inhibition of the Chk1 enzyme blocks this pathway, forcing cells to divide (mitosis), causing substantial DNA damage that results in their death.
The aim of this programme was to identify product candidates that increase the anti-tumour efficacy of current cytotoxic agents without increasing their toxicity to non-cancerous tissues. V158411 has met these goals in pre-clinical cancer models when administered with commonly used cytotoxic agents, and has drug-like characteristics and appropriate pharmacokinetic properties.
Because Chk1 inhibitors are used in conjunction with chemotherapy drugs, they can potentially be used to treat a broad range of tumour types including breast, prostate, colorectal and melanoma. They may also be used in haematological cancers such as leukaemia.
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Enquiries:
Vernalis Contacts
Ian Garland, Chief Executive Officer +44 (0) 118 989 9360
David Mackney, Chief Financial Officer
Brunswick Group
Jon Coles +44 (0) 20 7404 5959
Justine McIlroy
Notes to Editors
About Vernalis
Vernalis is a development stage pharmaceutical company with significant expertise both in de novo fragment and structure-based drug discovery and pre-clinical and clinical development. The Group has seven product candidates in clinical development (three of which are partnered), two programmes in pre-clinical, as well as other competitive research programmes. Our collaborations with leading, global pharmaceutical companies include Biogen Idec, Novartis, Servier, Chiesi, Menarini and Endo.
|
Product |
Indication |
Pre-Clinical |
Phase I |
Phase II |
Phase III |
Marketing Rights |
|
Priority Programmes |
||||||
|
V3381 |
Neuropathic Pain |
X |
Worldwide |
|||
|
V2006 |
Parkinson's Disease |
X |
Biogen Idec |
|||
|
V85546 |
Inflammatory Disease |
X |
Worldwide |
|||
|
NVP-AUY922 |
Cancer |
X |
Novartis |
|||
|
NVP-HSP990 |
Cancer |
X |
Novartis |
|||
|
V158866 |
Pain |
X |
Worldwide |
|||
|
V158411 (Chk1) |
Cancer |
X |
Worldwide |
|||
|
Progress through partnering |
||||||
|
V1512 |
Parkinson's Disease |
X |
Worldwide (excl. Italy) |
|||
|
V10153 |
Ischaemic Stroke |
X |
Worldwide |
|||
For further information about Vernalis, please visit www.vernalis.com
Vernalis Forward-Looking Statement
This news release may contain forward-looking statements that reflect the Company's current expectations regarding future events including the clinical development and regulatory clearance of the Company's products, the Company's ability to find partners for the development and commercialisation of its products, as well as the Company's future capital raising activities. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Actual events could differ materially from those projected herein and depend on a number of factors including the success of the Company's research strategies, the applicability of the discoveries made therein, the successful and timely completion of clinical studies, the uncertainties related to the regulatory process, the ability of the Company to identify and agree beneficial terms with suitable partners for the commercialisation and/or development of its products, as well as the achievement of expected synergies from such transactions, the acceptance of Frova® and other products by consumers and medical professionals, the successful integration of completed mergers and acquisitions and achievement of expected synergies from such transactions, and the ability of the Company to identify and consummate suitable strategic and business combination transactions.
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