CymaBay to Host Post-AASLD Key Opinion Leader Meeting on Novel Treatments for Primary Biliary Cholangitis

NEWARK, Calif., Oct. 23, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CymaBay Therapeutics, Inc. CBAY, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapies for liver and other chronic diseases with high unmet medical need, today announced that it will host a Key Opinion Leader (KOL) meeting on novel treatments for primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) on Wednesday, October 25, in New York City.

The meeting will feature a presentation by key opinion leader (KOL) Professor Gideon Hirschfield, MD, PhD (University of Birmingham, UK), who will discuss the current and novel approaches to treating primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). Professor Hirschfield will be available to answer questions following the lunch.

CymaBay's management team will also provide an update on results from their phase 2 study of seladelpar (MBX-8025) in patients with PBC that will be presented during the late-breaking session at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) 2017. Seladelpar is an orally administered potent and selective peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPARδ) agonist. The European Medicines Agency has granted CymaBay PRIority MEdicines (PRIME) status for MBX-8025 for the treatment of PBC.

Professor Gideon Hirschfield is a Professor in the Centre for Liver Research at the University of Birmingham, UK, one of the largest such programs in Europe. Professor Hirschfield was previously a Staff Physician and Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University Health Network and University of Toronto, where he managed one of the largest autoimmune liver disease cohorts in North America. In conjunction with his colleague Prof. Kathy Siminovitch, he published the seminal genetic observations underpinning the IL-12 signaling axis as critical to the pathophysiology of PBC. He now divides his time between translational research in autoimmune liver disease and his clinical Transplant/Hepatology practice at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, where he manages some of the largest international cohorts of patients with PBC, primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), and autoimmune hepatitis (AIH).

This event is intended for institutional investors, sell-side analysts, investment bankers, and business development professionals only. Please RSVP in advance if you plan to attend, as space is limited.  You can RSVP to attend by emailing Mac MacDonald at contact@lifesciadvisors.com. For those who are unable to attend in person, a live webcast and replay will be accessible at http://lifesci.rampard.com/20171025a/reg.jsp.

About PBC
Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is a serious and potentially life threatening autoimmune disease of the liver characterized by impaired bile flow (cholestasis) and accumulation of toxic bile acids. There is an accompanying inflammation and destruction of the intrahepatic bile ducts, which can progress to fibrosis, cirrhosis and liver failure. Other clinical symptoms of PBC include fatigue and pruritus, which can be quite disabling in some patients. PBC is primarily a disease of women: 1 in 1000 women over the age of 40 lives with PBC.

About Seladelpar
Seladelpar is a potent, selective, orally active PPARδ agonist that is in development for the treatment of the liver diseases PBC and NASH. For PBC, seladelpar has received an orphan designation from the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicine Agency. Seladelpar also received the PRIority MEdicine (PRIME) status from the European Medicine Agency.

About CymaBay
CymaBay Therapeutics, Inc. (CBAY) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapies for liver and other chronic diseases with high unmet medical need. Seladelpar is a potent and selective agonist of PPARδ, a nuclear receptor that regulates genes involved in bile acid/sterol, lipid and glucose metabolism and inflammation. Seladelpar is currently in development for the treatment of patients with the autoimmune liver disease, primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Two phase 2 studies of seladelpar established proof of concept in PBC. CymaBay is currently planning to advance development of seladelpar into phase 3 for PBC and phase 2 for NASH. Arhalofenate is a potential urate-lowering anti-flare therapy that has been found to reduce painful flares in joints while at the same time lowering serum uric acid by promoting excretion of uric acid by the kidney. This dual action addresses both the signs and symptoms of gout while managing the underlying pathophysiology of hyperuricemia. Arhalofenate has been licensed in the U.S. to Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.  CymaBay retains full development and commercialization rights for arhalofenate outside the U.S.

For additional information about CymaBay visit www.cymabay.com.

Contact:              
Hans Vitzthum
LifeSci Advisors, LLC
212-915-2568
Hans@LifeSciAdvisors.com