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Biotech / Medical : Pathogenesis(pgns) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Anthony Wong who wrote (97)	7/1/1998 11:22:00 AM
From: Ken M	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 228

PR Newswire, Wednesday, July 01, 1998 at 08:15 Second Entry in Portfolio to Treat Chronic Lung Infections SEATTLE, July 1 /PRNewswire/ -- PathoGenesis Corp. (NASDAQ:PGNS) today announced it has been granted a U.S. patent for PA-1420 (polymyxin E1), a broad-spectrum gram-negative aerosolized antibiotic now in preclinical development. PA-1420 is the second entry in the company's planned portfolio of aerosolized antibiotics to treat a number of chronic lung infections, including those common in cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, ventilator- dependent and immunocompromised patients. "PA-1420 is a potent antibiotic active against difficult-to-treat pseudomonal lung infections. We expect it to complement our first aerosolized antibiotic, TOBI(R) (tobramycin solution for inhalation), which was approved by the FDA late last year," said A. Bruce Montgomery, M.D., executive vice president of research and development for PathoGenesis. "Together, the two aerosolized antibiotics could provide physicians with more options to treat difficult chronic lung infections." PA-1420 has demonstrated a strong antibacterial effect against Pseudomonas aeruginosa in laboratory testing. This potency -- and the expertise PathoGenesis has developed in formulating aerosolized antibiotics -- means that a therapeutic dose of PA-1420 could be delivered rapidly, Montgomery said. In addition, PA-1420 is a peptide antibiotic and has a different mechanism of action than TOBI. This could provide physicians with alternative or alternating treatments. PA-1420 is a purified component of the antibiotic colistin, which has been sold for several decades in its prodrug form (Coly-Mycin(R)M, Parke-Davis) for intravenous or intramuscular injection to treat certain gram-negative infections. Knowledge of that related drug's activity in humans could significantly reduce the time required to bring PA-1420 to market, Montgomery said. PathoGenesis introduced TOBI in record time -- just three years from the time it requested the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's go-ahead to begin clinical trials -- due in part to its knowledge of tobramycin's activity in humans. Clinical trials of PA-1420 may begin in 1999 and initially are expected to test the drug candidate in cystic fibrosis patients in combination with TOBI. TOBI is inhaled twice daily in repeated cycles of 28 days on drug, followed by 28 days off drug. PA-1420 would be used in the TOBI off cycle. This continuous antibiotic treatment may further improve the suppression of chronic pseudomonal lung infections. Research on PA-1420 is being funded in part by a Therapeutics Development Grant from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Seattle-based PathoGenesis Corp. develops drugs for treating serious infectious diseases where there is a significant need for improved therapy. The company markets an inhaled antibiotic in the U.S. and is developing drug candidates to treat serious chronic lung infections, including those common in cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis and tuberculosis patients. PathoGenesis' stock is traded on the Nasdaq National Market System under the symbol PGNS. The company's Web site is located at www.pathogenesis.com. Note: This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties or other factors that may cause the company's actual results to be materially different from historical results or any results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such a difference include, but are not limited to, uncertainties related to the fact that PathoGenesis began commercial operations only recently, its dependence on TOBI, third party reimbursement and product pricing, government regulation, drug development and clinical trials, competition and alternative therapies, and other factors described in PathoGenesis' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The "1" in "polymyxin E1" should be read as a superscript. SOURCE PathoGenesis Corp. -0- 07/01/98 /CONTACT: Alan Meyer, 206-467-8100, or Maryellen Thielen, 847-583-5424, both of PathoGenesis Corp.; or Barbara Lindheim of Noonan-Russo, 212-696-4455, ext. 237, for PathoGenesis/ /Web site: pathogenesis.com