CRANBURY, N.J., Nov. 13, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cornerstone Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a development stage company and leader in the growing field of cancer metabolism-based therapeutics, today announced that its lead compound CPI-613 has been chosen by Informa and Kantar Health as one of the 2014 Top 10 Most Interesting Oncology Projects to Watch.
Steve Carchedi, Chief Executive Officer of Cornerstone Pharmaceuticals, will present at Informa's Therapeutic Area Partnerships meeting, taking place November 19-21, 2014 at the Hyatt Regency in Boston. Mr. Carchedi's presentation will occur at 11:00 a.m. on November 20 within Track 3 (Oncology).
During the presentation, Mr. Carchedi will discuss differentiators of Cornerstone's lead Altered Energy Metabolism Directed (AEMD) drug candidate, CPI-613, which is a first-in-class anticancer compound designed to disrupt the altered energy-production pathways in cancer cells by targeting mitochondrial metabolism.
Products selected as one of the Most Interesting Oncology Projects to Watch have met rigorous criteria, including unmet medical need, market potential, diversity of indications, strong science, partnering opportunities, and potential for new opportunities beyond initial indications.
"Selected products have been screened using a strict set of judging criteria for the Top 10 award and represent what Informa and Kantar Health consider among the most attractive opportunities the industry has to offer," said Bill Bagwell, General Manager, Oncology, Kantar Health. "As an industry leader in oncology strategic research and consulting, it is exciting to give these companies exposure to potential investors, partners and acquirers."
Mr. Carchedi remarked, "Being selected as one of the Top 10 Most Interesting Oncology Projects to Watch this year is a great achievement and we view this as a reflection of the substantial clinical evidence we have shown to date demonstrating that CPI-613 has a high level of activity in advanced hematologic malignancies as well as solid tumors. The observed effect of CPI-613's mechanism of action in disrupting cancer metabolism has also garnered much interest from the scientific community as a unique approach to cancer treatment. As a result, we have achieved partnerships with notable cancer research institutions to further evaluate our lead compound and look forward to sharing additional clinical evidence in the future, including the upcoming American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting next month."
About CPI-613
CPI-613 is the lead drug candidate from Cornerstone's proprietary AEMD platform. Cornerstone's AEMD drug platform disrupts the essential "bioenergetic" differences that support the growth and development of many types of cancer cells. In the case of CPI-613, the compound has been shown to selectively induce inhibition of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) and alpha ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (KGDH), key mitochondrial enzymes involved in cancer cell metabolism in-vitro. Disruption of PDH and KGDH function cuts off the tumor's energy supply, culminating in cell death. CPI-613 is currently being evaluated in Phase I, I/II and II human clinical trials in solid tumors and hematological malignancies.
About Cornerstone Pharmaceuticals
Cornerstone Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a privately held clinical stage, oncology-focused pharmaceutical company committed to the development and commercialization of therapies that exploit the metabolic differences between normal cells and cancer cells. The company's primary objective is to develop highly selective and effective agents with minimal toxic effects on normal cells and tissues. The company's unique approach to targeting cancer metabolism has led to two independent technology platforms: altered energy metabolism directed, or AEMD, compounds and an Emulsiphan lipid nanoemulsion based drug delivery system. www.cornerstonepharma.com.
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