TECHNICLONE TREATS FIRST PATIENTS IN Pancreatic, Prostate and Liver Cancer Cotara Trial
Business Editors & Medical Writers
TUSTIN, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 14, 1999--
-Clinical Study Could Significantly Reduce US Approval Timeline-
Techniclone Corporation (NASDAQ:TCLN) a developer of leading-edge
unique therapeutics for the advanced treatment of cancer, today
announced that it has begun treating its first two prostate cancer
patients under its Cotara(TM) Phase I/II trial for the treatment of
pancreatic, prostate and liver cancers.
The Company expects that the results from this study, if accepted
by the FDA, would replace the need for a U.S. Phase I clinical trial
study, therefore potentially reducing the U.S. approval timeline and
possibly leading to faster commercialization. Techniclone anticipates
that these studies will also provide valuable insight into
Cotara's(TM) ability to treat a variety of solid tumors and will make
the design of future studies more efficient. As previously announced,
Techniclone received an unrestricted grant to fund a portion of this
trial from a New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) multinational
pharmaceutical company.
Conducted at the Salvador Zubrian National Nutrition Institute in
Mexico City under the direction of Dr. Gabriela Cesarman of the
Department of Hematology and Oncology, the trial will include
approximately eighteen patients with advanced prostate, pancreatic and
liver cancers and will explore the benefits of alternative delivery
procedures (which include intratumoral and intravenous injection).
Larry O. Bymaster, President and CEO of Techniclone, stated,
"Each year over 1.3 million Americans are diagnosed with various forms
of solid tumor cancer, more than one third of which result in death.
While some inroads have been made in various individual areas of
cancer research, the search for a universal therapy continues and we
believe that the various studies presently being conducted on our
Cotara(TM) therapy have the potential to provide an important
milestone in that effort."
In addition to the Mexico City trial, Cotara(TM) which binds to
dead/decaying cells found in the core of solid tumors is presently in
Phase II clinical trials in the U.S. for malignant glioma (brain
cancer).
Company Overview: Techniclone Corporation is a biopharmaceutical
company focused on the development, commercializing and licensing of
unique technologies for the treatment of cancer, primarily based on
its "collateral targeting technologies." These technologies
therapeutically target cell structure and cell types, rather than
surface cancer cells, as a means to attack solid tumors, without
causing damage to surrounding healthy tissue. In addition to
Cotara(TM), the Company has a direct tumor targeting agent called
Oncolym(R) for the treatment of advanced non-Hodgkin's B-cell
Lymphoma, that is currently undergoing Phase II/III human testing.
Techniclone recently entered into a worldwide Licensing Agreement for
Oncolym(R) with Schering AG, Germany. Two other collateral targeting
agents, Vasopermeation Enhancement Agents (VEA) and Vascular Targeting
Agents (VTA) are in pre-clinical stages of development. VEAs are
monoclonal antibodies that increase tumor blood vessel permeation for
enhanced uptake of chemotherapeutic agents versus normal tissues,
while VTAs are agents that block the flow of oxygen/nutrients to a
solid tumor's vascular network, causing clotting and necrosis. VTAs
also can deliver a wide variety of therapeutic agents to a solid
tumor, including therapeutic agents, biologic agents, toxins and
radioisotopes.
Additional information on the Company and its products can be
found at www.techniclone.com.
Safe Harbor Statement: This release may contain certain
forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor
provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Actual events or results may differ from the Company's expectations as
a result of risk factors discussed in Techniclone's reports on file
with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not
limited to, the Company's report on Form 10Q for the quarter ended
January 31, 1999 and Form 10K for the year ended April 30, 1998.
--30--flb/ny*
CONTACT: Investor Relations:
Cynthia DeMonte
212/420-0088
or
Media Relations:
Clint Cantwell/Rubenstein PR
212/843-8051
|
