MethylGene Presents Preclinical Data for Its Beta-Lactamase Inhibitor, MG96077, at the 49th Annual ICAAC Meeting
MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - Sept. 14, 2009) - MethylGene Inc. (TSX:MYG) today disclosed preclinical data for MG96077, a novel, broad spectrum, non-beta-lactam beta-lactamase inhibitor (BLI). MG96077 possesses a broad-spectrum inhibitory profile for both class A and class C beta-lactamase enzymes, including extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs). In addition, the compound overcomes resistance in beta-lactam-resistant organisms such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The data were presented in a poster session at the 49th Annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) Annual Meeting in San Francisco, California.
Poster C1-1373: Novel Beta-Lactamase Inhibitor Potentiates and Extends the Antibacterial Activity of Imipenem against Beta-Lactam-Resistant P. aeruginosa and K. pneumoniae
MG96077 was tested in combination with imipenem, a commonly-used antibiotic agent for a variety of serious infections.
A series of in vitro and in vivo preclinical studies focused on comparing the combination of MG96077 and imipenem to imipenem alone, or imipenem plus currently approved BLIs, were performed. Greater than 90 percent of imipenem-resistant clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae were rendered susceptible with the addition of MG96077 to imipenem. The combination of imipenem and any of the three currently approved BLIs did not achieve greater than 61 percent coverage. Furthermore, the combination of imipenem and MG96077 in vivo demonstrated 3-6 log reduction in colony forming units (CFU) and a 100 percent survival rate in combating imipenem-resistant P. aeruginosa infections of mouse spleen and lung. The pharmacokinetic properties of MG96077 were similar to imipenem in preclinical studies with no observable drug-drug interactions. Thus, MG96077 is a novel beta-lactamase inhibitor that restores efficacy to imipenem against a high percentage of imipenem-resistant Pseudomonas and Klebsiella strains and, therefore, may address the clinical need for antibacterial therapies with more potent coverage of resistant gram-negative organisms.
MethylGene retains exclusive rights to MG96077 and a series of related molecules. Additional data has been developed regarding MG96077 compared to other beta-lactam antibiotics, as well as other compounds in the series paired with various beta-lactam antibiotics.
"Antibiotic resistance rates are increasing among several problematic gram-negative pathogens, including P. aeruginosa, K. pneumoniae, Acinetobacter spp. and Enterobacteriaceae that are often responsible for serious hospital-acquired infections. In these studies, MG96077 appears to demonstrate activity in a variety of organisms and we look forward to further evaluation of this compound in what is a growing antibiotic market in need of novel treatments," said Donald F. Corcoran, President and Chief Executive Officer of MethylGene.
About MethylGene
MethylGene Inc. (TSX:MYG) is a publicly-traded, clinical stage, biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of novel therapeutics with a focus on cancer. The Company's product candidates include: MGCD265, an oral, multi-targeted kinase inhibitor targeting the c-Met, VEGF, Ron and Tie-2 receptor tyrosine kinases that is in Phase I and Phase II clinical trials for cancers; MGCD290, a fungal Hos2 inhibitor being developed for use in combination with fluconazole for serious fungal infections that is in Phase I clinical studies; and MGCD0103, an oral, isoform-selective HDAC inhibitor which has been in multiple clinical trials for solid tumors and hematological malignancies and is licensed to Taiho Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. A fourth compound discovered using MethylGene's HDAC platform, EVP-0334 - a potential cognition enhancing agent, is in a Phase I study sponsored by EnVivo Pharmaceuticals Inc. MethylGene also has a funded collaboration with Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. for applications in ocular diseases using the Company's proprietary kinase inhibitor chemistry. Please visit our website at www.methylgene.com.
Certain statements contained in this news release, other than statements of fact that are independently verifiable at the date hereof, may constitute forward-looking statements. Such statements, based as they are on the current expectations of management of MethylGene, inherently involve numerous risks and uncertainties, known and unknown, many of which are beyond MethylGene's control. These risks and uncertainties could cause future results, performance or achievements to differ significantly from the results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such results, performance or achievements include, but are not limited to, the timing and effects of regulatory action; the continuation of collaborations; the results of clinical trials; the timing of enrollment or completion of clinical trials; the success, efficacy or safety of MGCD0103, MGCD265 or MGCD290; the ability to scale up, formulate and manufacture sufficient GMP, clinical or commercialization quantities of MGCD0103, MGCD265 or MGCD290, and the relative success or the lack of success in developing and gaining regulatory approval and/or market acceptance for any compound or new product including MGCD0103, MGCD265 or MGCD290. Such risks include, but are not limited to, the impact of general economic conditions, economic conditions in the pharmaceutical industry, changes in the regulatory environment in the jurisdictions in which MethylGene does business, stock market volatility, fluctuations in costs, expectations with respect to our intellectual property position and our ability to protect our intellectual property and operate our business without infringing upon the intellectual property rights of others, changes in the competitive landscape including changes in the standard of care for the various indications in which MethylGene is involved, and changes to the competitive environment due to consolidation, as well as other risks, which you are urged to read, as described in MethylGene's Annual Information Form for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2008, under the heading 'risk factors and all other documents filed by the Company that can be found at www.sedar.com. Consequently, actual future results may differ materially from the anticipated results expressed in the forward-looking statements. The reader should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements included in this presentation. These statements speak only as an update on the date they are made and MethylGene is under no obligation to revise such statements as a result of any event, circumstance or otherwise except in accordance with law.
