Progenics Provides Update on Hepatitis C Program
- Discontinues PRO 206 pre-clinical development; focuses research on second-generation HCV-entry inhibitors -
TARRYTOWN, N.Y., Jun 08, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: PGNX) today announced the discontinuation of development for PRO 206, a pre-clinical compound for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The decision was made as part of a portfolio review, and is in line with the Company's ongoing initiative to allocate resources to the most important programs in order to increase its operating efficiencies. The Company will instead focus on its second-generation HCV-entry inhibitor portfolio and anticipates selection of a new development candidate in 2010.
"Our research and development team has built a robust platform for HCV drug discovery," said Paul J. Maddon, M.D., Ph.D., Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Science Officer, Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. "While our review indicated that PRO 206 did not satisfy the criteria for further development, our ongoing research and development efforts have yielded new compounds demonstrating comparable potency to PRO 206. These second-generation compounds also indicate a broader spectrum of activity in laboratory studies against the hepatitis C virus."
About Hepatitis C Virus Infection
HCV is a major cause of acute hepatitis and chronic liver disease, including cirrhosis and liver cancer. Globally, an estimated 170 million persons are chronically infected with HCV. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that approximately 4.1 million persons in the United States are infected with HCV and 3.2 million of these individuals are chronic carriers, making it the most common, chronic blood-borne infection in the United States. HCV is the leading cause of liver transplantation and causes approximately 8,000 to 10,000 deaths each year in the United States.
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About the Company
Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc., of Tarrytown, NY, is a biopharmaceutical company focusing on the development and commercialization of innovative therapeutic products to treat the unmet medical needs of patients with debilitating conditions and life-threatening diseases. Principal programs are directed toward gastroenterology, virology--including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections--and oncology. Progenics, in collaboration with Wyeth, is developing RELISTOR(R) (methylnaltrexone bromide) for the treatment of opioid-induced side effects. RELISTOR is currently approved in over 30 countries, which include approvals in the U.S., Canada and Australia, Latin American countries, as well as all European Union member countries. In the U.S., RELISTOR subcutaneous injection is indicated for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation (OIC) in patients with advanced illness who are receiving palliative care, when response to laxative therapy has not been sufficient. Marketing applications are pending for RELISTOR in other countries. In the area of virology, Progenics is developing the HIV-entry inhibitor PRO 140, a humanized monoclonal antibody which binds to co-receptor CCR5 to inhibit HIV entry. PRO 140 is currently in phase 2 clinical testing for the treatment of HIV infection. The Company also has an HCV discovery program to identify novel inhibitors of viral entry. In the area of oncology, the Company is conducting a phase 1 clinical trial of a human monoclonal antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) for the treatment of prostate cancer--a selectively targeted chemotherapeutic antibody directed against prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA). PSMA is a protein found on the surface of prostate cancer cells as well as in blood vessels supplying other solid tumors. Progenics is also conducting a phase 1 clinical trial with a vaccine designed to treat prostate cancer by stimulating an immune response to PSMA.
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Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. While it is impossible to identify or predict all such matters, these differences may result from, among other things, the inherent uncertainty of the timing and success of, and expense associated with, research, development, regulatory approval and commercialization of our products and product candidates, including the risks that clinical trials will not commence or proceed as planned; products appearing promising in early trials will not demonstrate efficacy or safety in larger-scale trials; clinical trial data on our products and product candidates will be unfavorable; our products will not receive marketing approval from regulators or, if approved, do not gain sufficient market acceptance to justify development and commercialization costs; we, our collaborators or others might identify side effects after the product is on the market; or efficacy or safety concerns regarding marketed products, whether or not originating from subsequent testing or other activities by us, governmental regulators, other entities or organizations or otherwise, and whether or not scientifically justified, may lead to product recalls, withdrawals of marketing approval, reformulation of the product, additional pre-clinical testing or clinical trials, changes in labeling of the product, the need for additional marketing applications, declining sales or other adverse events.
We are also subject to risks and uncertainties associated with the actions of our corporate, academic and other collaborators and government regulatory agencies, including risks from market forces and trends, such as those relating to the recently-announced acquisition of our RELISTOR collaborator, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, by Pfizer Inc.; potential product liability; intellectual property, litigation, environmental and other risks; the risk that licenses to intellectual property may be terminated for our failure to satisfy performance milestones; the risk of difficulties in, and regulatory compliance relating to, manufacturing products; and the uncertainty of our future profitability.
Risks and uncertainties also include general economic conditions, including interest- and currency exchange-rate fluctuations and the availability of capital; changes in generally accepted accounting principles; the impact of legislation and regulatory compliance; the highly regulated nature of our business, including government cost-containment initiatives and restrictions on third-party payments for our products; trade buying patterns; the competitive climate of our industry; and other factors set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and other reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In particular, we cannot assure you that RELISTOR will be commercially successful or be approved in the future in other formulations, indications or jurisdictions, or that any of our other programs will result in a commercial product.
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