I'm not sure but is this good news for NYOTRAN?
Monday May 11, 7:00 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: Aronex Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Aronex Pharmaceuticals Reports Data on NYOTRAN(TM)
Antifungal Agent at European Congress of Medical Mycology
NYOTRAN(TM) Exhibits Differentiating Antifungal Activity in over 500 Samples in
Multiple in Vitro Studies
THE WOODLANDS, Texas, May 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Aronex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARNX - news)
today announced the presentation of data on NYOTRAN(TM) demonstrating broad antifungal activity against multiple
fungal species. Three in vitro studies, conducted in collaboration with researchers at the University of Manchester, UK,
and institutions in Europe and the U.S., tested NYOTRAN against over 500 fungal samples and compared
NYOTRAN's activity with currently commercialized antifungal agents. Results were presented at the European
Congress of Medical Mycology (''ECMM'') conference held in Glasgow, Scotland.
Dr. David Denning of the University of Manchester, UK said, ''Our comparison of in vitro activity of NYOTRAN
against Aspergillus species with those of other commercially available products indicated that NYOTRAN was
fungicidal for 34% of the isolates compared with 7% for AmBisome, 5% for Abelcet and 17% for Amphotec.
Aspergillus is a clinically significant filamentous fungus that is known to be difficult to treat in humans with current
therapy. We believe NYOTRAN's emerging profile of good antifungal activity against resistant strains as exhibited in
the presentations at ECMM may signify potential for use in the hospital environment.''
In commenting on the data presented, Geoffrey F. Cox, Ph.D., Chairman and CEO of Aronex Pharmaceuticals said,
''These data indicate a very strong, broad based antifungal profile for NYOTRAN, including organisms resistant to
current commercial products. We believe these data will be very important for market differentiation of NYOTRAN,
which is currently in Phase III clinical trials in the U.S. and Europe.''
In the three presentations at ECMM, investigators from the U.S. and Europe demonstrated that NYOTRAN has
antifungal activity against a wide variety of fungal species isolated from human patients. Over 500 isolates were tested.
The first study compared NYOTRAN against 6 currently used antifungal agents: itraconazole (ITZ), Fungizone
(amphotericin B; AMB), free nystatin (NYS), AmBisome (AMS), Abelcet (ABL) and Amphocil (AMP). In vitro
activity was determined against 60 Aspergillus isolates: 36 fumigatus, 8 each of terreus, flavus and niger obtained from
the U.S. and Europe. NYOTRAN was active against a range of Aspergillus species including a number of isolates that
were resistant to the other drugs (1 AMB, 12 AMS, 17 ABL, 7 AMP and 12 ITZ).
Study number two compared the effect of NYOTRAN against 53 isolates of clinically important filamentous fungi
(molds) from Europe. Of the 53 isolates, 35 were Aspergillus species. NYOTRAN exhibited good in vitro activity
against a wide range of filamentous fungi, including Aspergillus.
In the third study, NYOTRAN was evaluated against 421 yeasts collected from human patients in the U.S. and
Europe, and was active against all isolates. These included all of the major types of Candida, including isolates resistant
to fluconazole. Candida infections account for approximately 80% of human systemic fungal infections.
NYOTRAN is currently being evaluated in Phase III clinical trials for the treatment of life-threatening systemic fungal
infections. NYOTRAN is a liposomal form of nystatin developed by Aronex Pharmaceuticals for intravenous use
against systemic fungal infections. Nystatin belongs to a class of drugs called polyenes that have a broader spectrum of
activity than the azoles. NYOTRAN's liposomal formulation greatly reduces nystatin's toxicity thereby allowing the
administration of higher therapeutic doses of the drug.
Aronex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that develops and commercializes proprietary innovative
medicines to treat cancer and infectious diseases. Aronex Pharmaceuticals currently has four products in clinical
development, two of which are in an advanced stage, as well as a pipeline of additional products.
Any statements which are not historical facts contained in this release are forward looking statements that involve risks
and uncertainties, including but not limited to those relating to product demand, pricing, market acceptance, the effect of
economic conditions, intellectual property rights and litigation, clinical trials, governmental regulation, competitive
products, risks in product and technology development, the results of financing efforts, the ability to complete
transactions and other risks identified in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings.
SOURCE: Aronex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. |
