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Biotech / Medical : tech. enhancements -- half-life/stealthing -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: scaram(o)uche who wrote (3)	6/26/2001 10:41:20 AM
From: keokalani'nui	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 53

Scientists at Cell Therapeutics Make Recombinant PG-Interferon Technology Expands PG Platform to Include Biologic Cancer Therapeutics SEATTLE, June 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Cell Therapeutics, Inc. (cti) (Nasdaq: CTIC - news) researchers have developed a proprietary way to allow bacteria to make its polyglutamate (PG) polymer, expanding the application of PG to include a wide variety of biologic therapies such as interferon. Jack Singer, M.D., Executive Vice President of Research will discuss these data in a presentation at the International Symposium on Polymer Therapeutics on July 14 in Japan. ``We believe this is the first time a polymer has been produced using recombinant techniques,'' stated Dr. Singer. ``We can now genetically engineer bacteria to produce PG-interferon and PG-linked with other biologic agents active in treating cancer. Our preliminary data suggests that PG-interferon has several characteristics that may allow it to be superior to other polymer linked interferons.'' ``This has significant development and commercial implications for cti and our cancer drug pipeline,'' noted James A. Bianco, M.D., President and CEO of cti. ``In addition to the potential to make existing cancer chemotherapy agents like Taxol® less toxic and more effective, we can now expand our business into taking well known biologic treatments like interferons and potentially improve on their effectiveness as well.'' The first application of the PG technology PG-TXL, links paclitaxel, the active ingredient in the world's best selling cancer drug Taxol, to the Company's proprietary PG polymer. cti currently is conducting three phase I and six phase II clinical trials with PG-TXL in a wide variety of cancer types. cti also plans on bringing a second PG product into clinical trials later this year by filing an IND for PG-CPT in the fourth quarter. PG-CPT links a camptothecin to the PG backbone. Camptothecins are the second fastest growing class of anti-cancer drugs in the U.S. cti is committed to developing an integrated portfolio of oncology products aimed at making cancer more treatable