Synergy Pharmaceuticals' Chief Scientific Officer to Present Plenary Lecture at the 2014 Southern Regional Meetings

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Synergy Pharmaceuticals Inc. SGYP today announced its Chief Scientific Officer, Kunwar Shailubhai, Ph.D., M.B.A., will present a plenary lecture entitled, “Cyclic GMP: Understanding its Evolution and Clinical Implications in Gastroenterology,” during the Southern Gut Club meeting being held at the InterContinental New Orleans on Thursday, February 20, at 7:00pm (EST).

Cyclic GMP is a key intracellular mediator activated by the intestinal guanylate cyclase-C (GC-C) receptor and is responsible for initiating downstream GC-C signaling essential for maintenance of electrolytes and fluid transport as well as in regulation of homeostasis in epithelial cells lining the GI mucosa. The lecture will discuss the potential therapeutic applications of GC-C agonists in a variety of GI diseases and disorders.

About Synergy

Synergy Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a biotechnology company focused on the research and development of novel drugs for the treatment of gastrointestinal (GI) diseases and disorders. Synergy has discovered proprietary analogs of the human GI hormone, uroguanylin, the natural agonist for the intestinal guanylate cyclase-C (GC-C) receptor. Both Synergy's lead GC-C agonist, plecanatide, and next-generation GC-C agonist, SP-333, mimic uroguanylin's natural functions by binding to and activating the GC-C receptor in the GI tract to stimulate fluid and transit required for normal digestion. Plecanatide is in phase 3 clinical trials for chronic idiopathic constipation and a phase 2b study for irritable bowel syndrome with constipation. SP-333 is in phase 2 development for opioid-induced constipation and is also being explored for ulcerative colitis. For more information please visit www.synergypharma.com.