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PreveCeutical Announces Successful Completion from its Design, Synthesis and Preliminary Evaluation of Novel Designed Peptides Derived from Caribbean Blue Scorpion Venom in a Cell-Based Brain Cancer Model
Vancouver, British Columbia: PreveCeuticalMedical Inc. (the “Company” or “PreveCeutical”)(CSE: PREV, OTCQB: PRVCF, FSE: 18H), is pleased to announce the successful completion of the design, synthesis and preliminary evaluation of key peptides from its scorpion venom-derived peptide research and development program (the “Peptide Program”). The Peptide Program is expected to enable the Company to develop their own proprietary, Nature Identical™, peptide therapeutics, which are intended for therapeutic applications. PreveCeutical’s initial therapeutic focus was to understand the activities of such peptides in cell-based brain cancer models.
In the first stages of the Peptide Program, PreveCeutical’s research partner successfully identified four peptides that individually inhibit the activity of a target protein (the “Target Protein”) implicit in the progression of certain brain cancers (see news release dated March 11, 2019).
In the final stage of the Peptide Program, the four peptides were further tested in a number of in vitro studies in certain brain cancer cell lines and also in a patient-derived neural oncosphere cell line of a brain cancer. Screening of the four peptides in an invasion assay model showed that they had ability to reduce the invasion potential in brain cancer cell types (see news release dated April 10, 2019). The Company believes that this is an important development given that “invasion” is a key driver of the aggressiveness, rapid spread and poor prognosis commonly associated with certain brain cancers.
From these studies, two peptides showed the most potential for further development as therapeutic agents in the management of certain brain cancers. These two lead peptides were able to inhibit the activity of the Target Protein, which resulted in an obvious slowing of invasion, with the reduction in invasion particularly being seen in the oncospheres. The two peptides also displayed modest suppression of an important cancer cell marker, which has a role in promoting cancer spread/metastasis and is also associated with drug and immune resistance in brain cancer. Both lead candidates are a fraction of the size and structural complexity of Chlorotoxin, a scorpion venom-derived peptide known to target brain cancer cells from scientific literature.
PreveCeutical is now accelerating the process of evaluating options on how best to progress the two lead peptide drug candidates, which may include partnering to expedite their pre-clinical evaluation. The pre-clinical outcomes, along with the Company’s IP coverage, would have the potential to demonstrate proof of concept and enable the Company to further extend dialogue with pharma R & D / biotech companies active in the therapeutic neuro-oncology space.
PreveCeutical’s President and Chief Science Officer, Dr. Mak Jawadekar stated, “We are indeed quite excited to have accomplished further strides towards proof of concept for these innovative Nature Identical™ peptide therapeutics for application into the neuro-oncology therapeutic area and look forward to progressing them through proof of concept studies.”
About PreveCeutical
PreveCeutical is a health sciences company that develops innovative options for preventive and curative therapies utilizing organic and nature identical products.
PreveCeutical aims to be a leader in preventive health sciences and currently has five research and development programs, including: dual gene therapy for curative and prevention therapies for type 2 diabetes and obesity; a soluble gel drug delivery program; Nature Identical™peptides for treatment of various ailments; non-addictive analgesic peptides as a replacement to the highly addictive analgesics such as morphine, fentanyl and oxycodone; and a therapeutic product for treating athletes who suffer from concussions (mild traumatic brain injury).
For more information about PreveCeutical, please visit www.PreveCeutical.com, follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/PreveCeuticals and Facebook: www.facebook.com/PreveCeutical.
On Behalf of the Board of Directors
“Dr. Makarand (Mak) Jawadekar”
President & Chief Science Officer
For further information, please contact:
Deanna Kress
Director of Corporate Communications & Investor Relations
+1-778-999-6063
deanna@PreveCeutical.com
Forward-Looking Statements:
This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, “forward-looking statements”) within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities legislation, including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements in this news release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations and orientations regarding the future including, without limitation, the ability of the Company to demonstrate proof of concept and generate Nature Identical™ peptide therapeutics for therapeutic applications, the ability to develop a more detailed understanding of the activities of the peptides and assess the efficacy of the peptides in more sophisticated neural oncosphere cell models, the Company’s intention to enter into discussions with pharma R & D / biotech companies and the Company’s anticipated business plans and its prospect of success in executing its proposed plans. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as “will”, “pro forma”, “plans”, “expects”, “may”, “should”, “budget”, “schedules”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “potential”, “proposes” or variations of such words including negative variations thereof and phrases that refer to certain actions, events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. Forward looking statements are based on certain assumptions regarding the Company, including expected growth, results of operations, including the Company’s research and development activities, performance, industry trends, growth opportunities, and that the Company will be able to obtain the financing required to carry out its planned future activities, retain and attract qualified research personnel and obtain and/or maintain the necessary intellectual property rights it needs to carry out its future business activities. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors includingrisks and uncertainties relating to the risks associated with the completion of the Peptide Program, actual results from pre-clinical and clinical trials, dependence on collaborative partners and the prospects for negotiating additional corporate collaborations or licensing arrangements and their timing, the inability of the Company, to, among other things, protect its intellectual property, obtain any required governmental, regulatory or stock exchange approvals, permits, consents or authorizations required, including Canadian Securities Exchange acceptance of any planned future activities, commercialise any therapeutic and diagnostic technologies, pursue business partnerships, complete its research programs as planned and obtain the financing required to carry out its planned future activities. Other factors such as general economic, market or business conditions or changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry, may also adversely affect the future results or performance of the Company. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and, unless required by applicable law, the Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in these forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the statements, beliefs, plans, expectations, and intentions contained in this news release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that those statements, beliefs, plans, expectations, or intentions will prove to be accurate. Readers should consider all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to other periodic reports provided by the Company from time-to-time. These reports and the Company’s filings are available at www.sedar.com.
Readers are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and, accordingly, are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty of such statements.