MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Jan. 7, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ChemoCentryx, Inc. (Nasdaq:CCXI) announced today the initiation of a Phase I clinical trial for CCX507, the Company's novel, wholly-owned inhibitor of the chemokine receptor known as CCR9. The double-blind, placebo-controlled study will evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of CCX507 in healthy adult subjects.
Thomas J. Schall, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of ChemoCentryx, commented, "Our CCR9 inhibitor franchise has the unique distinction of advancing multiple orally administered experimental medicines into clinical development. CCR9 has been implicated in inflammatory bowel disease including Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and related disorders. We are delighted that our de novo discovery efforts have yielded a new generation of more potent CCR9 inhibitors, exemplified by CCX507, allowing us to expand the fight against these debilitating diseases."
ChemoCentryx's CCR9 inhibitor program also includes vercirnon (also known as Traficet-EN, CCX282 or GSK1605786), a first generation orally administered CCR9 inhibitor discovered and originally developed at ChemoCentryx. Building upon promising results from a Phase IIb clinical trial which ChemoCentryx conducted for patients with moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease (the PROTECT-1 clinical trial), vercirnon is currently in pivotal Phase III clinical trials conducted by the Company's partner GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). Data from the first pivotal study (SHIELD-1) is expected in the second half of 2013. Unlike vercirnon, CCX507 is wholly-owned by ChemoCentryx, and not allied with a pharma partner at this time.
About ChemoCentryx
ChemoCentryx, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing orally-administered therapeutics that target the chemokine and chemoattractant systems in order to treat autoimmune diseases, inflammatory disorders and cancer. The chemokine system is a biological network that regulates inflammation via a collection of secreted chemokine molecules, or ligands, and their specific cell surface receptors. Based on its proprietary drug discovery and drug development platform, ChemoCentryx has generated multiple clinical and preclinical-stage programs, each targeting distinct chemokine and chemoattractant receptors with different small molecule compounds. The Company's most advanced drug candidate, vercirnon (also known as Traficet-EN, CCX282 or GSK1605786), a specific CCR9 inhibitor, completed a multi-national clinical trial, called PROTECT-1, in patients with moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease, where it demonstrated the ability to induce a clinical response and to maintain clinical remission, and is now in Phase III clinical development. The Company's lead independent drug candidate, CCX140, a CCR2 inhibitor, has been shown to be safe and well-tolerated while demonstrating clinical activity on glycemic indices in a Phase II clinical trial in type 2 diabetics, and is now in Phase II clinical development for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy. In addition, CCX872, the Company's next-generation CCR2 inhibitor, is in Phase I clinical development. Other clinical programs include CCX354 (also known as GSK2941266), a CCR1 inhibitor which successfully completed a Phase II clinical trial for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis; CCX168, a C5aR inhibitor in Phase II clinical development for the treatment of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis, and CCX507, the Company's wholly-owned de novo CCR9 inhibitor, which is now in Phase I clinical development. ChemoCentryx also has several programs in advanced preclinical development.
Forward-Looking Statements
ChemoCentryx cautions you that statements included in this press release that are not a description of historical facts are forward-looking statements. Words such as "may," "could," "will," "would," "should," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "intend," "predict," "seek," "contemplate," "potential" or "continue" or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are based on the Company's current beliefs and expectations. The inclusion of forward-looking statements should not be regarded as a representation by ChemoCentryx that any of its plans will be achieved. Actual results may differ from those set forth in this release due to the risk and uncertainties inherent in the ChemoCentryx business and other risks described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, and ChemoCentryx undertakes no obligation to revise or update this news release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. Further information regarding these and other risks is included under the heading "Risk Factors" in ChemoCentryx's periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including ChemoCentryx's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three-month period ended September 30, 2012, which are available from the SEC's website (www.sec.gov) and on ChemoCentryx's website (www.ChemoCentryx.com) under the heading "Investors." All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. This caution is made under the safe harbor provisions of Section 21E of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
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