CAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 24, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Blueprint Medicines today announced that new data on its first-in-class isoform selective fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 (FGFR4) inhibitor will be presented during a late-breaking minisymposium at the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) taking place April 5-9, 2014, in San Diego, California. The presentation by Blueprint's Chief Scientific Officer Christoph Lengauer, Ph.D., will include preclinical data examining the impact of isoform selective FGFR4 inhibition in hepatocellular carcinoma with amplification or overexpression of FGF19 (fibroblast growth factor 19). FGF19 is the ligand of FGFR4 and a genomic driver in hepatocellular carcinoma.
"We are excited to present our data to the oncology community on a very promising, first-in-class inhibitor of an important genomic driver in hepatocellular carcinoma," said Alexis Borisy, interim President and Chief Executive Officer of Blueprint Medicines. "Acceptance of these data as a late-breaking oral presentation at AACR represents another key milestone in advancing Blueprint's mission of discovering, developing and commercializing novel, highly selective kinase inhibitors for genomically defined patient populations."
Details of the oral presentation are as follows:
- Presentation: "First isoform selective inhibitor of FGFR4 for the treatment of genomically defined patients with hepatocellular carcinoma" (Abstract number: LB-324)
- Session: Novel Drug Targets, Compounds, and Signatures of Response and Resistance
- Date & Time: Tuesday, April 8, 2014, 3:05 p.m. – 3:20 p.m. PDT
- Location: Room 8, San Diego Convention Center
About Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Liver cancer is the sixth most common cancer and is the second most common cause of death from cancer worldwide. More than 780,000 cases of liver cancer are diagnosed worldwide each year.1 Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common form of liver cancer and accounts for approximately 80 percent of the primary malignant liver tumors in adults.2
About Blueprint Medicines
Blueprint Medicines is a patient-driven oncology company developing highly selective kinase inhibitors for genomically defined cancer subsets. Led by a management team and advisors with world-renowned expertise in cancer genomics, drug discovery and clinical oncology, Blueprint has developed a platform that combines genomics with a novel library of kinase inhibitors, enabling Blueprint to rapidly develop potent highly selective compounds against clear genomic driver targets. Founded in 2011, Blueprint is privately held and initially backed by Third Rock Ventures and Fidelity BioSciences. For more information, please visit BlueprintMedicines.com.
1 Ferlay J, et al., GLOBOCAN 2012. Cancer Incidence, Mortality and Prevalence Worldwide in 2012.
2 El-Serag, Hashem, Current Concepts in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. The New England Journal of Medicine. 2011; 365: 1118-27.