WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., April 20, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Endocyte, Inc. (Nasdaq:ECYT), a biopharmaceutical company developing targeted small molecule drug conjugates (SMDCs) and companion imaging diagnostics for personalized therapy, today announced that previously reported data on vintafolide (EC145), Endocyte's lead drug candidate and etarfolatide (EC20), Endocyte's diagnostic imaging agent, will be presented at the 3rd European Lung Cancer Conference in Geneva, Switzerland.
The poster presentation information is as follows:
| Date & Time: | Saturday, April 21, Room K, 8:00 - 8:50 a.m. CEST |
| Abstract ID: | 304 |
| Session: | Advanced NSCLC |
| Poster Title: | "Co-development of a folate receptor targeted drug conjugate (EC145) and a folate |
| receptor targeted in the treatment of advanced adenocarcinoma NSCLC" | |
| Presenter: | Martin J. Edelman, M.D. |
On April 16, Endocyte and Merck announced that they have entered into an agreement to develop and commercialize Endocyte's vintafolide, currently being evaluated in a Phase III clinical trial for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, (PROCEED trial) and a Phase II trial for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Both trials are also using Endocyte's investigational companion diagnostic agent, etarfolatide (EC20).
About Vintafolide (EC145)
Vintafolide is a proprietary, injectable, conjugate consisting of folate (vitamin B9) linked to a potent vinca alkaloid chemotherapy agent, desacetylvinblastine monohydrazide (DAVLBH). Vintafolide is designed to preferentially target the chemotherapy agent to fast growing cancer cells that actively take up folate via the folate receptor. The folate receptor is expressed in a wide variety of cancers including ovarian, NSCLC, breast, colon and kidney.
About Etarfolatide (EC20)
Etarfolatide is a folate-targeted molecular imaging agent that is being developed as a non-invasive method to identify tumors that over-express folate receptors. These tumors are the molecular target of Endocyte's folate-targeted therapeutic compounds such as vintafolide. To date, etarfolatide has been administered to over 550 patients.
About Endocyte
Endocyte is a biopharmaceutical company developing targeted therapies for the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases. Endocyte uses its proprietary technology to create novel Small Molecule Drug Conjugates (SMDCs) and companion imaging diagnostics for personalized targeted therapies. The company's SMDCs actively target receptors that are over-expressed on diseased cells, relative to healthy cells. This targeted approach is designed to enable the treatment of patients with highly active drugs at greater doses, delivered more frequently, and over longer periods of time than would be possible with the untargeted drug alone. The companion imaging diagnostics are designed to identify patients whose disease over-expresses the target of the therapy and who are therefore more likely to benefit from treatment.