Advanced Cancer Therapeutics to Present Preclinical Data on Glycolysis

Inhibitors at American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting



Contact:
Randall B. Riggs, President & CEO
Advanced Cancer Therapeutics
Phone: (502) 345-8911
Email:
rriggs@advancedact.com


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Louisville, KY - March 8, 2011 - Advanced Cancer Therapeutics (ACT), a privately held company dedicated to bringing new anti-cancer therapies to market, today announced that its abstract summarizing the preclinical data on an inhibitor of glycolysis has been selected for oral presentation at the 102nd American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), Annual Meeting to be held April 2 - April 6, 2011 in Orlando, Florida.


The presentation will be held on Monday, April 4, 2011 from 3:00pm - 5:00pm ET as part of a mini-symposium on New Small Molecule Therapeutics. Dr. Gilles Tapolsky, ACT's Chief Scientific Officer, will present "Characterization of a Novel Small Molecule Antagonist of 6-Phosphofructo-2Kinase that Suppresses Glucose Metabolism and Tumor Growth."


ACT is developing inhibitors of glycolysis targeting 6-phosphofructo-2kinase/fructose-2,6biphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3), a cancer metabolism target identified as essential for cancer cell growth and licensed by ACT from the James Graham Brown Cancer Center. High glucose consumption is observed in most cancers. PFKFB3 is enzyme involved in the first irreversible step of glycolysis, and has been validated as a relevant cancer metabolism target. Inhibitors of the PFKFB3 block glucose uptake and inhibit tumor growth.


Using a rational design approach, ACT identified PFK-015, a potent inhibitor of glycolysis. The data to be presented at the meeting demonstrates that this lead compound possesses compelling in vitro and in vivo properties, and suppresses tumor glucose metabolism and growth in several human and murine xenograft tumor models. In addition to PFK-015 and related analogs that have the similar properties, ACT is developing a distinct class of PFKB3 inhibitors that are orally bioavailable. Characterization of these novel compounds demonstrates that they also have compelling properties in various animal studies and preclinical models.


ACT intends to select a clinical candidate within the next couple of months for this exciting program in the area of cancer metabolism and initiate IND enabling studies.



About Advanced Cancer Therapeutics (ACT):


ACT is a privately held company dedicated to advancing novel therapeutics for the prevention and treatment of cancer. ACT has successfully established a unique and innovative business model with the University of Louisvilleā€™s James Graham Brown Cancer Center (Brown Cancer Center) whereby ACT is able to obtain exclusive worldwide licenses to novel cancer therapeutics discovered at Brown Cancer Center under preset business terms. ACT then fast-tracks these discoveries, including the selection process for partnership, commercialization and manufacture, to the pharmaceutical industry, and ultimately to the patients who need them. Led by Dr. Don Miller, the Brown Cancer Center employs over fifty scientists focused on the discovery and advancement of breakthrough cancer therapeutics for patients suffering from cancer. For more information, please visit www.advancedcancertherapeutics.com.