Acetylon Pharmaceuticals to Present at UBS Global Healthcare Conference

Acetylon Pharmaceuticals to Present at UBS Global Healthcare Conference

<0> Acetylon Pharmaceuticals Inc.Walter C. Ogier, 617-435-2664President and Chief Executive OfficerorMedia:MacDougall Biomedical CommunicationsKari Watson, 781-235-3060orMichelle Avery, 781-235-3060 </0>

Acetylon Pharmaceuticals Inc., the leader in targeted epigenetic drug discovery and development for enhanced therapeutic outcomes, today announced that Walter C. Ogier, President and Chief Executive Officer of Acetylon, will present at the UBS Global Healthcare Conference today, May 20, 2013, at 1:00 p.m. ET in New York City in the Riverside South room at the New York Sheraton Hotel.

Mr. Ogier will discuss Acetylon's clinical and preclinical development programs, with a focus on its lead drug candidate ACY-1215. ACY-1215 is an oral, small molecule, selective inhibitor of histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) which is currently in clinical trials for the treatment of relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma at major US cancer centers, including a Phase 1b trial in combination with Revlimid® (lenalidomide, Celgene) and a Phase 1/2 trial with Velcade® (bortezomib, Takeda Millenium).

Blood cancers such as multiple myeloma are characterized by successive genetic mutations resulting in rapid cell proliferation and excess production of intracellular proteins. ACY-1215 selectively inhibits the intracellular enzyme HDAC6, leading to inactivation of the "aggresome" pathway for degradation of damaged proteins. The resultant accumulation of excess waste protein in malignant cells triggers programmed cell death, called "apoptosis," with little or no effect on normal cells. Currently available HDAC drugs non-selectively target multiple HDAC enzymes including those of Class I, resulting in dysregulated expression of numerous genes in normal cells as well as cancer cells. Side effects commonly associated with non-selective epigenetic HDAC drugs include gastrointestinal dysfunction, lowered blood platelet levels and risk of hemorrhage, and profound fatigue as well as potential for severe cardiac complications. Selective inhibition of HDAC6 is expected to reduce or eliminate these often-severe side effects associated with non-selective HDAC inhibition and may enable the development of optimized treatment regimens including maximally effective combination drug therapies.

Acetylon Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a leader in the development of novel small molecule drugs targeting epigenetic mechanisms for the enhanced therapeutic outcome of cancer and other critical unmet medical needs. The Company’s epigenetic drug discovery platform has initially yielded a proprietary library of optimized, orally-administered Class I and Class II histone deacetylase (HDAC) selective compounds. Alteration of HDAC regulation through selective HDAC inhibition is thought to be applicable to a broad range of diseases, including cancer, sickle cell disease, beta-thalassemia, and autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases. Acetylon’s lead drug candidate, ACY-1215, is a selective HDAC6 inhibitor in clinical development for the treatment of multiple myeloma.

Revlimid® is a registered trademark of Celgene Corporation. Velcade® is a registered trademark of Millennium: the Takeda Oncology Company.