RADNOR, Pa., June 12, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PolyMedix, Inc. (OTCBB:PYMX), a biotechnology company focused on developing innovative therapeutic drugs to treat patients with serious acute-care conditions, today announced that the United States Adopted Names (USAN) Council, in consultation with the World Health Organization (WHO) International Nonproprietary Names Expert Committee, has approved the use of the nonproprietary generic name "brilacidin" (pronounced bri-la-ci-din) for PMX-30063, a first-in-class defensin mimetic antibiotic. PolyMedix recently announced positive results from a Phase 2 clinical study with brilacidin as an intravenous treatment in patients with acute bacterial skin and skin structure Staph aureus infections.
"PMX-30063, now referred to as brilacidin, is the first compound in the new cidin class of antibiotics," commented Nicholas Landekic, President and CEO of PolyMedix. "The cidins are unlike any other class of systemic antibiotic approved or in development. They imitate how our body's own immune system combats bacterial infections. Brilacidin, our lead clinical compound, kills bacteria that are resistant to other antibiotic classes, with a mechanism to which resistance is unlikely to develop. We are proud to be the pioneers in this field and look forward to advancing the clinical development of brilacidin in a Phase 2B dose optimization study."
The USAN Council has also approved the use of the nonproprietary generic name "delparantag" (pronounced del-par-an-tag) for PMX-60056, PolyMedix's first-in-class anticoagulant reversing agent.
About The USAN Council
The USAN Council serves health professionals in the United States by selecting simple, informative, and unique nonproprietary names for drugs by establishing logical nomenclature classifications based on pharmacological and/or chemical relationships to ensure that drug information is communicated accurately and unambiguously. The USAN Council aims for global standardization and unification of drug nomenclature by working closely with the International Nonproprietary Name Programme of WHO and various national nomenclature groups.
About PolyMedix, Inc.
PolyMedix is a clinical stage biotechnology company developing a novel class of antimicrobial agents, small-molecule defensin-mimetics, for the treatment of serious acute care conditions. PolyMedix's lead infectious disease drug candidate is brilacidin (also called PMX-30063), the first of this new class of antibiotics which imitates the mechanism of natural human immunity, and exploits a method of bacterial cell killing for which resistance is unlikely to develop. Brilacidin has completed a Phase 2 clinical trial in patients with acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI) caused by Staph aureus bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staph aureus (MRSA). In the study, all evaluated doses of brilacidin showed efficacy comparable to the active control and were safely administered.
PolyMedix's product portfolio also includes its PolyCides®, antimicrobial additives to materials, such as cosmetics, plastics and textiles, to create self-sterilizing products and surfaces, and delparantag (also called PMX-60056) and other preclinical anticoagulant reversing agents. PolyMedix's compounds have been internally discovered using a proprietary drug design technology.
For more information, please visit our website at www.polymedix.com.
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This press release contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause PolyMedix's actual results and experience to differ materially from anticipated results and expectations expressed in these forward looking statements. PolyMedix has in some cases identified forward-looking statements by using words such as "anticipates," "believes," "hopes," "estimates," "looks," "expects," "plans," "intends," "goal," "potential," "may," "suggest," and similar expressions. Among other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements are PolyMedix's need for, and the availability of, substantial capital in the future to fund its operations and research and development, and the fact that PolyMedix's compounds may not successfully complete pre-clinical or clinical testing, or be granted regulatory approval to be sold and marketed in the United States or elsewhere. A more complete description of these risk factors is included in PolyMedix's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. PolyMedix undertakes no obligation to release publicly the results of any revisions to any such forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by applicable law or regulation.