London, UK, and Cambridge, MA: 30 November 2010 - During its presentation today at the Piper Jaffray conference, Antisoma plc (LSE: ASM; USOTC: ATSMY) will announce that it now expects to report pivotal data for its cancer drug AS1413 (amonafide L-malate) in the first quarter of 2011. Previous guidance was that the ACCEDE phase III trial, which evaluates AS1413 in patients with secondary acute myeloid leukaemia (secondary AML), would report by the end of June 2011.
Glyn Edwards, CEO of Antisoma, said: "Gathering and processing of data in the AS1413 trial is going well, so we now expect to announce results in the first quarter of next year. This is the largest prospective study to date in patients with secondary AML, and we look forward to sharing the findings with the oncology community."
Today's presentation at the Piper Jaffray conference is available as an audio webcast at www.antisoma.com (http://www.antisoma.com/). The presentation takes place in New York at 1.30 pm EST/ 6.30 pm GMT today. To access the webcast live, please log on 15 minutes early in order to register and download any necessary software.
| Enquiries: | Â |
| Glyn Edwards, CEO | Â |
| Daniel Elger, VP Marketing & Communications | +44 (0)7909 915 068 |
| Antisoma plc | Â |
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| Mark Court/Jessica Fontaine | +44 (0)20 7466 5000 |
| Buchanan Communications | Â |
Except for the historical information presented, certain matters discussed in this announcement are forward looking statements that are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. These risks and uncertainties may be associated with product discovery and development, including statements regarding the Company's clinical development programmes, the expected timing of clinical trials and regulatory filings. Such statements are based on management's current expectations, but actual results may differ materially.
About AS1413 (amonafide L-malate)
AS1413 (amonafide L-malate) was added to Antisoma's pipeline through the acquisition of Xanthus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in June 2008. AS1413 is a novel DNA intercalator that induces apoptotic signalling by blocking topoisomerase II binding to DNA. This differs from the action of classical topoisomerase II inhibitors, which induce apoptosis by causing extensive DNA damage. A further distinctive feature of AS1413 is its ability to evade Pgp and related transporters responsible for multi-drug resistance (MDR).
The ACCEDE phase III trial is evaluating AS1413 in patients with secondary AML. These patients represent a substantial subgroup of AML patients whose disease is associated with a history of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) or with prior chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatment for other cancers. Patients with secondary AML respond poorly to current AML therapies. Antisoma's trial compares a novel treatment regimen of AS1413 plus cytarabine with a standard current regimen of daunorubicin and cytarabine. Enrolment of over 420 patients was completed in September 2010.
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Background on Antisoma
Antisoma is a London Stock Exchange-listed biopharmaceutical company that develops novel products for the treatment of cancer. The Company has operations in the UK and the US. Please visit www.antisoma.com (http://www.antisoma.com/) for further information about Antisoma.
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Source: Antisoma plc via Thomson Reuters ONE
