SALT LAKE CITY, Sept. 10, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Myriad Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq:MYRX) today announced that two abstracts have been selected for presentation at the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) Annual Meeting, being held September 12-15, 2009, in San Francisco, CA.. Presentations will disclose new findings about MPC-4326, a Myriad Pharmaceuticals' drug candidate being developed as an oral treatment of human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) infection.
The abstracts can be accessed through the ICAAC website http://www.icaac.org/. Abstract titles are provided below, however, please note that according to ICAAC policy, all data are embargoed until the presentation time. Once presented, all posters and presentations will be available as PDF files on the Myriad Pharmaceuticals' website (http://www.myriadpharma.com/).
Abstract # H1230 (Monday, Sep. 14, 2009, 10:00 AM - 10:15 AM): Efficacy, Safety and Pharmacokinetics of MPC-4326 (Bevirimat Dimeglumine) 200mg bid and 300mg bid Monotherapy Administered for 14 days in Subjects with HIV-1 Infection
Abstract # A1-1309 (Monday, Sep. 14, 2009, 11:15 AM - 1:15 PM): Pharmacokinetics and Safety of a Novel 100 mg Tablet Formulation of MPC-4326 in Subjects with HIV-1 Infection
About MPC-4326
MPC-4326 (bevirimat dimeglumine) is MPI's investigational new drug being developed as an oral treatment of human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) infection. MPC-4326 is a potent small-molecule that acts as a viral maturation inhibitor and is a first-in-class drug candidate with a novel mechanism of action. New drugs with novel mechanisms of action are needed to combat the evolution of HIV drug resistance to the currently available therapies. Importantly, preclinical studies have demonstrated that MPC-4326 exhibits potent activity against a broad range of HIV strains, including isolates that are resistant to currently approved HIV therapies. MPC-4326 could therefore strengthen the portfolio of approved drugs being used in combination to treat patients with HIV.
Clinical studies in over 675 subjects to date have shown MPC-4326 to be well tolerated and have demonstrated significant and clinically relevant reductions in viral load in patients. Approximately 60% of all HIV patients are infected with strains of HIV that are sensitive to MPC-4326, and these patients can be readily detected with a simple and proprietary genotyping assay. MPC-4326 has been granted Fast Track designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The company expects to initiate a 24-week, controlled, two-arm efficacy study (Phase 2b) of MPC-4326 in HIV treatment-experienced patients in the second half of 2009.
About Myriad Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Myriad Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing novel small molecule drugs that address severe medical conditions, including cancer and HIV infection. Our pipeline includes clinical and pre-clinical product candidates with distinct mechanisms of action and novel chemical structures that have the potential to be first-in-class and/or best-in-class therapeutics. For more information visit www.myriadpharma.com.
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Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements relating to the clinical studies of MPC-4326 to be presented at the ICAAC annual meeting and the company's expectations to initiate a clinical efficacy study of MPC-4326. These "forward-looking statements" are based on management's current expectations of future events and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the risk that we may be unable to further identify, develop and achieve commercial success for new products and technologies; the risk that we may be unable to discover drugs that are safer and more efficacious than our competitors; the risk that we may be unable to develop and maintain manufacturing capabilities for our products; the possibility of delays in the research and development necessary to select drug development candidates and delays in clinical trials; the risk that clinical trials may not result in marketable products; the risk that we may be unable to successfully finance and secure regulatory approval of and market our drug candidates, or that clinical trials will not be completed on the timelines we have estimated; uncertainties about our ability to obtain new corporate collaborations and acquire new technologies on satisfactory terms, if at all; the development of competing products and services; the risk that we may be unable to protect our proprietary technologies; the risk of patent-infringement claims; risks of new, changing and competitive technologies and regulations in the United States and internationally; and other factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" contained in our Form 10 which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as any updates to those risk factors filed from time to time in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K. All information in this press release is as of the date of the release, and Myriad Pharmaceuticals undertakes no duty to update this information unless required by law.