SILVER SPRING, Md., March 17, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nuvilex, Inc. (OTCQB:NVLX), an international biotechnology company providing cell and gene therapy solutions for the treatment of diseases, announced today that Dr. Professor Walter H. Günzburg, Chairman and Chief Technical Officer of Nuvilex's partner SG Austria Pte. Ltd., gave a major presentation at the international BioPharma Asia Convention 2014 that was held in Singapore March, 10-13, 2014.
Dr. Günzburg, together with Dr. Brian Salmons, President and CEO of Austrianova Singapore, developed the Cell-in-a-Box® live cell encapsulation technology that can serve as a platform upon which treatments for serious and deadly diseases can be built. Nuvilex obtained the worldwide exclusive licenses to use the technology for the development of treatments for cancer and diabetes from SG Austria and Austrianova Singapore, respectively, in 2013.
In his presentation entitled "Cell-in-a-Box® Living Cell Encapsulation Products for Medical and Healthcare Use" given during the Clinical Trials section of the Convention's program, Dr. Günzburg reviewed the data from the early/mid-phase clinical trials that were done with the combination of Cell-in-a-Box® and the anti-cancer prodrug ifosfamide in patients with advanced inoperable pancreatic cancer; In those Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials, the Cell-in-a-Box®/ifosfamide combination treatment was shown to essentially double the median survival time and percentage of one-year survivors over those seen in historical data for Gemzar® (gemcitabine), the only drug approved to date by the FDA as a single agent for the treatment of the disease. But unlike Gemzar®, Nuvilex's treatment had no serious treatment-related side effects associated with it because the dose of ifosfamide used in these trials was only one-third of that normally employed for cancer treatment.
The annual BioPharma Asia Convention is the leading event for Asia's biopharmaceutical industry. The Convention brings together decision makers and influencers from academia, biotech and pharmaceutical companies, contract research organizations and contract medical organizations and gives these individuals a unique opportunity to convene, network and deliberate.
Dr. Günzburg commented, "The lively discussions at the BioPharma Asia Convention underscored the tremendous potential of the Cell-in-a-Box® technology as a means to protect, restrain, store and transport human cells both in clinical applications and in clinical research programs."
The CEO and President of Nuvilex, Kenneth L. Waggoner, stated, "Because of the collaboration of Drs. Günzburg and Salmons for more than a decade, the Cell-in-a-Box® live-cell encapsulation technology has now matured to the point that it will soon see its fulfilment as a platform for the development of treatments for cancer and diabetes. The exposure that Dr. Günzburg's presentation at the BioPharma Asia Convention gave the technology as a whole, and our pancreatic cancer treatment in particular, can only serve to generate interest as we move to advance the technology for the treatment of patients with this devastating disease."
About Nuvilex:
Nuvilex is a biotechnology company focused on developing and preparing to commercialize treatments for cancer and diabetes based upon a proprietary cellulose-based live-cell encapsulation technology, called Cell-in-a-Box®. This unique technology will be used as a platform upon which treatments for several types of cancer, including advanced, inoperable pancreatic cancer, and diabetes are being built. Nuvilex's treatment for pancreatic cancer involves the widely used anticancer prodrug, ifosfamide, together with encapsulated live cells that convert ifosfamide into its active or "cancer-killing" form. Nuvilex's subsidiary, Medical Marijuana Sciences, Inc., is dedicated to the development of cancer treatments based upon chemical constituents of marijuana known as cannabinoids. To do so, it will examine ways to exploit the benefits of Cell-in-a-Box® technology in optimizing the anticancer effectiveness of cannabinoids against cancers while minimizing or outright eliminating the debilitating side effects usually associated with cancer treatments. This provides Medical Marijuana Sciences a unique opportunity to develop "green" approaches to fighting deadly cancers, such as those of the pancreas, brain, breast and prostate, that affect hundreds of thousands of individuals worldwide every year.
Safe Harbor:
This press release may contain forward-looking statements regarding Nuvilex and its future events and results that involve inherent risks and uncertainties. The words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "plan" and similar expressions, as they relate to Nuvilex or its management, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Important factors, many of which are beyond the control of Nuvilex, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements include Nuvilex's ability to continue as a going concern, delays in clinical trials or flaws or defects regarding its products, changes in relevant legislation or regulatory requirements, uncertainty of protection of Nuvilex's intellectual property and Nuvilex's continued ability to raise capital. Nuvilex does not assume any obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements.
More information about Nuvilex and Medical Marijuana Sciences can be found at www.nuvilex.com and www.medicalmarijuanasciences.com. It can also be obtained by contacting Investor Relations.