SAN DIEGO, April 19, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ciclofilin Pharmaceuticals Inc. ("Ciclofilin" or the "Company"), a privately held biotech, announced today that it will discuss important new data for its cyclophilin inhibitor, CPI-431-32, during a presentation at the Cambridge Healthtech Institute’s Eleventh Annual Drug Discovery Chemistry Conference to be held April 19-22, 2016 at the Hilton San Diego Resort in San Diego, CA. CPI-431-32 is Ciclofilin’s lead drug candidate for the treatment of hepatitis B virus (“HBV”) infection.
Ciclofilin’s CEO, Robert T. Foster, PharmD, PhD, will present findings that demonstrate CPI-431-32 is a best-in-class host-targeting antiviral drug. To date, CPI-431-32 in vitro completely suppresses HBsAg, suppresses HBeAg, and suppresses intracellular HBV DNA by greater than 90%, while also inhibiting viral uptake by blocking NTCP transporter activity. CPI-431-32 also reduces HBV DNA in the HBV1.3 transgenic mouse model. In contrast to other cyclophilin inhibitors, CPI-431-32 demonstrated a wide selective index (“SI”) as measured by the toxicity:efficacy ratio (CC50:IC50), which is sufficient for clinical development in HBV.
“We have almost three decades worth of experience in cyclosporine chemistry. Drawing upon this experience in structure-activity relationships, we have learned that relatively small and selective changes to the chemical structure of the cyclosporine backbone can have very dramatic consequences in pharmacology,” commented Dr. Foster. “With that in mind, we have discovered a compound that has demonstrated a significant shift in both the efficacy against the hepatitis B virus and cytotoxicity profiles in a way that provides for a clear and meaningful separation of these two properties. This degree of separation, known as selective index, is something we have not seen with other known cyclophilin inhibitors, making CPI-431-32 extremely unique and compelling.”
About Ciclofilin:
Ciclofilin is a privately held life sciences company based in San Diego, California, with R&D facilities in Edmonton, Canada. The company's lead oral drug candidate, CPI-431-32, is being developed as a treatment for chronic HBV infection. CPI-431-32 interferes with the ability of the HBV to infect cells, propagate, and cause disease primarily by preventing HBV interaction with host cell cyclophilins. CPI-431-32 also demonstrates anti-fibrotic activity in the liver, and may offer clinical benefits to patients in addition to anti-HBV activity. CPI-431-32 has a wide selective index, allowing for HBV clinical development.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including with respect to the potential of our lead drug CPI-431-32 for the treatment of HBV. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release are forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the significance of our preclinical results and potential applications of our compound for the treatment of HBV patients. Statements that are not historical facts are based on our management's current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about our business and the industry in which we operate and our management's beliefs and assumptions. The statements contained in this release are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, which are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed in such forward-looking statements. These statements speak only as of the date of this release, and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Ciclofilin undertakes no obligation to update or revise these statements, except as required by applicable law.