IPIX - Anti-Cancer Drug Candidate’s p53 Activity in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Cellceutix Anti-Cancer Drug Candidate’s p53 Activity in Acute Myeloid Leukemia to be Presented by Independent Researchers at the 2017 European Hematology Association Annual Meeting

GlobeNewswire•May 30, 2017
BEVERLY, Mass., May 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cellceutix Corporation, (CTIX) (“the Company”), is pleased to share further data supporting the p53 mechanism of action of Kevetrin and its treatment potential in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) at the 2017 European Hematology Association (EHA) Annual Meeting to be held June 22-25, in Madrid, Spain.

Poster Title: “Kevetrin: Preclinical Study of a New Compound in Acute Myeloid Leukemia”

http://learningcenter.ehaweb.org/eha/2017/22nd/180680/roberta.napolitano.kevetrin.preclinical.study.of.a.new.compound.in.acute.html

The poster presentation includes pre-clinical results from two cell lines (KASUMI-1, mutant p53; and MOLM-13, wild type) treated with Kevetrin. The analysis indicates that Kevetrin exposure induces cell cycle arrest, reduces mitochondrial membrane potential, and increases Caspase-3 in cleaved form—features that contribute to apoptotic cell death. In the p53-mutated (KASUMI-1) cell line, a marked p53 down-regulation was observed along with reduced expression of p21 and PUMA, which are p53 targets. The MOLM-13 cell line showed a marked p53 reduction, and marked up-regulation of p21, whereas PUMA protein was highly down-regulated suggesting a p53-independent mechanism of action.

The researchers’ conclusion:

Our results suggest Kevetrin is a promising new drug in AML patients treatment, both in wild type and, even more, in TP53 mutated tumors, through different molecular mechanisms, giving more therapeutic alternatives in the treatment of this disease.

“We are extremely pleased to see these pre-clinical results of Kevetrin in AML, particularly as the work was initiated independently by academic researchers intrigued by our novel compound,” commented Leo Ehrlich, Chief Executive Officer at Cellceutix. “The findings bolster ongoing research, such as investigations regarding Kevetrin in Ovarian Cancer presented at the 2017 AACR meeting, further informing how Kevetrin modulates p53. Given dysfunctional p53 is implicated in at least one-half of all cancers, Kevetrin has the potential to become a truly special anti-cancer drug.”

In a completed Phase 1 trial in solid tumors conducted at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centers, Kevetrin was well-tolerated, with minimal adverse effects. A Phase 2a trial in Ovarian Cancer is currently ongoing, in which similar analyses of pathway modulations by Kevetrin are being explored directly using tumor biopsies before and after treatment. Running in parallel, Cellceutix continues to make strides toward developing Kevetrin as an oral formulation.