Kevetrin(TM) Shows Excellent Activity in Animal Models of Drug
Resistant Lung Cancer With Less Cytotoxicity Than Paclitaxel
Cellceutix of Beverly, MA, to Pursue Development for Drug-Resistant
Lung Cancer
BEVERLY, Mass., Oct. 13, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cellceutix Corporation (OTCBB:CTIX) today announced that it presented a poster and its Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Krishna Menon, was one of only four individuals selected to participate in an expert panel discussion of the abstract at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) meeting "Frontiers in Basic Cancer Research" in Boston, MA on October 10, 2009. The Company's poster describes in vitro and in vivo research on its lead compound, Kevetrin(TM), which is being developed for drug resistant cancers. The three day AACR meeting featured presentations on the latest advances in basic cancer research from around the world. The AACR issued a press release on October 10, 2009 which featured the abstract submitted by Cellceutix http://www.aacr.org/home/public--media/aacr-press-releases.aspx?d=1571
In the in vivo studies, Kevetrin was found to significantly delay tumor growth in two multi-drug resistant lung cancer cell lines. In two experiments with the NCI-H1975 cell line, Kevetrin showed an average tumor growth delay of 149% compared to controls, while paclitaxel delayed tumor growth an average of 72%. The delay in Kevetrin treated animals was significantly greater than in the animals treated with paclitaxel (p<0.01). In two experiments with the A549 cell line, Kevetrin showed an average tumor growth delay of 72% compared to controls while paclitaxel showed an average tumor growth delay of 6%. Again, the delay in Kevetrin treated animals was significantly greater than in the animals treated with paclitaxel (p<0.01).
In the in vitro studies, the cytotoxicity of Kevetrin was found to be less than that of paclitaxel or cisplatin and Kevetrin was found to inhibit specific AKT, p38 MAP kinase activity and pmTOR kinase activity. Since Kevetrin had greater anti-tumor activity compared to paclitaxel despite being less cytotoxic, this suggests that Kevetrin may be targeting specific components of the signal transduction pathway, such as AKT, p38 MAP kinase, or the pmTOR kinase activity, rather than acting primarily as a cytotoxic agent.
"We were pleased to present this important data at the prestigious AACR meeting, and furthermore, I was honored to be selected as an expert panel participant," said Dr. Krishna Menon, Chief Scientific Officer of Cellceutix. Dr. Menon continued: "The poster describes experiments in which Kevetrin showed excellent activity against multi-drug resistant lung cancer cell lines, which are very difficult to treat. These results are also consistent with the animal model experiment results we recently released in drug-resistant breast and colon cancer cell lines. Based on these strong results, we plan to aggressively pursue development of Kevetrin for multi-drug resistant lung cancer."
For a copy of the poster presented by Cellceutix at the AACR meeting and a more complete description of these studies please visit our Company's website at www.cellceutix.com.
About Cellceutix
Cellceutix Corporation is a preclinical cancer and anti-inflammatory drug developer. Cellceutix owns the rights to seven drug compounds, including Kevetrin, which it is developing as a treatment for certain cancers, and KM-133, which it is developing for the treatment of psoriasis. More information is available on the Cellceutix web site at www.cellceutix.com. To be added to the Cellceutix investor email list, please email news@cellceutix.com with CTIX in the subject line.
This Press Release contains forward-looking statements that are based on our current expectations, beliefs and assumptions about the industry and markets in which Cellceutix Corporation operates. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause Cellceutix's actual results to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by these statements. Actual results may differ materially from what is expressed in these statements, and no assurance can be given that Cellceutix can successfully implement its core business strategy and improve future earnings.
The factors that may cause Cellceutix's actual results to differ from its forward-looking statements include: Cellceutix's current critical need for additional cash to sustain existing operations and meet ongoing existing obligations and capital requirements; Cellceutix's ability to implement its new product development and commercialization, enter into clinical trials, expand the intellectual property portfolio, and receive regulatory approvals in a timely and cost-effective manner. All forward-looking statements are also expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements included in Cellceutix's SEC filings, including its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and its annual report on Form 10-K.
Kevetrin has not been studied in humans at this time. The Company's positive results in animal studies do not necessarily guarantee success in humans, though they may form the basis for beginning Phase 1 trials.
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