SAN DIEGO, Feb. 17, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ciclofilin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Ciclofilin" or the "Company"), a biotechnology company focused on the development of broad spectrum antivirals, today announced that its abstract entitled "Novel Cyclophilin Inhibitor CPI-431-32 Shows Broad Spectrum Antiviral Activity By Blocking Replication of HCV, HBV and HIV-1 Viruses" will be presented at the European Association for the Study of the Liver ("EASL"), being held April 22-26, 2015 in Vienna, Austria. The abstract was authored by Philippe Gallay, Udayan Chatterji, Michael Bobardt, Daren Ure, Daniel Trepanier, Robert Foster, and Cosme Ordonez.
CPI-431-32 targets and inhibits a host cellular enzyme known as cyclophilin A ("CyPA"). CyPA is responsible for activation of viral proteins critical for the life cycles of hepatitis B virus ("HBV"), hepatitis C virus ("HCV") and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 ("HIV-1"). By understanding the nature of how cyclophilins mediate viral replication, the Company has developed a host-targeting antiviral, CPI-431-32, for the treatment of HBV, HCV, HIV-1, and infection with more than one of these viruses simultaneously (co-infection). In the U.S. alone, there are approximately 1.4 million patients infected with HIV, approximately 4 million patients with HCV, and approximately 2 million patients with chronic HBV. At least 520,000 patients in the U.S. are co-infected (HIV/HCV, HIV/HBV, HBV/HCV). Co-infection can be explained by the similar mode of transmission of these viruses, and greatly complicates the clinical picture when treating these patients.
"We are very pleased to have been selected to present our data at the upcoming prestigious EASL meeting," stated Dr. Robert Foster, CEO. "This congress allows us the opportunity to highlight our drug development program in difficult-to-treat co-infection to the global medical and scientific community."
Lead author, Dr. Philippe Gallay, of the Scripps Research Institute in San Diego commented, "It is indeed rare to find a candidate medicine that can destroy more than one virus at the same time. The data strongly suggests that cyclophilin inhibition could form an important foundation of future drug therapy combinations, especially in co-infected patients."
About Ciclofilin Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Ciclofilin is a life sciences company based in San Diego, California, with R&D facilities in Edmonton, Canada. The company's antiviral drug pipeline is uniquely designed to target cyclophilins and render cells resistant to viral infection. Host cell cyclophilins are excellent drug targets because they are used by many viruses and at multiple stages of viral life cycles to propagate infections. Unlike most other antivirals used in practice or in development, Ciclofilin's antivirals do not target the virus. By targeting host molecules and not the virus, Ciclofilin's lead drug is less susceptible to emerging resistance and is truly pangenotypic. Ciclofilin is developing a broad spectrum antiviral for the treatment of patients co-infected with hepatitis B ("HBV"), human immunodeficiency virus type 1 ("HIV-1"), and hepatitis C ("HCV") viruses. Approximately 25% of HIV patients are co-infected with HCV, and about 10% are co-infected with HBV. There are about 20,000 HBV/HCV co-infected patients in the U.S. and about 35-70 million HBV/HCV patients worldwide. Co-infected patients progress at a faster rate to end-stage liver disease than mono-infected patients, and co-infection more than triples the risk of liver disease, liver failure, and liver-related death. End-stage liver disease (liver inflammation and fibrosis, liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma) is the main cause of death and hospitalization for HIV patients, and cyclophilin inhibitors, as a class, are known to exhibit anti-fibrotic properties, which may further amplify the benefits of this approach to treating viral infections. Ciclofilin is also testing for antiviral activity towards human papilloma virus ("HPV"), coronaviruses, and other viruses.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements, with respect to the potential of our lead drug CPI-431-32 for the treatment of human viral diseases. 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 co-infected 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, uncertain-ties 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.