The Barcelona-based biotech company AB Therapeutics has obtained high efficacy results with its 2 new anticancer compounds in animal models of lung cancer (NSCLC) using Membrane Lipid Therapy (MLT), a new therapeutic approach. After 4 weeks treatment in immunosupressed mice, the molecules reduced tumor growth in treated animals by 70%. Additionally, tumor growth arrest was observed in 10% of treated mice. Adverse events were markedly lower than in mice treated with gold standard treatment docetaxel.
AB-Therapeutics is in a series-A fundraising round to conduct preclinical development and to file an IND in 3Q2011 to start phase I clinical trials in late 2011. Capital needs are 0.8-1 M€ in 2010, 2.8 M€ in 2011 and 5 M€ in 2012. The company expects to receive 2 M€ in government soft loans from European, Spanish and Catalan institutions.
 
“We are satisfied to have in vivo validation of in vitro results, not only in efficacy but also in low toxicity”, said Jordi Espadaler, PhD, VP Discovery Research. “The results obtained will allow us to build the regulatory preclinical package to start clinical trials next year. We have initiated a series A round of financing to accomplish this goal”, said Carles Domenech, PhD, CEO.
 
Dr. Domenech highlights that MLT “could represent an important contribution to human health”, and also points at its high market potential: “Our compounds have blockbuster potential due to the high mortality in lung cancer, still an unmet medical need”.
 
ABOUT MEMBRANE LIPID THERAPY
MLT is a new therapeutic approach, with a mechanism of action consisting in modifying the dynamics of cell membranes, thus altering the activity of multiple proteins involved in cell growth regulation.
 
Molecules under preclinical development selectively induce apoptosis in several cancer types: lung, pancreatic, glioma and leukemia.
 
ABOUT AB-THERAPEUTICS
 
AB-Therapeutics, SL is a drug discovery and development company headquartered in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, with planned US facilities in Boston. The company was cofounded in late 2009 by AB Biotics, SA, a company publicly traded at the Spanish alternative stock market (MAB), Carles Domenech (CEO) and Jordi Espadaler (VP Discovery Research).
 
AB-Therapeutics, SL develops safer human therapeutics targeting cell membranes to treat cancer and other indications with unmet medical needs. It has a molecule ready to start preclinical development in 4Q2010, with Phase I clinical trials (first in man) starting in late 2011 / early 2012. A second drug candidate will start preclinical development in 2Q2011.
 
 
Contact:
Media relations:
Nuria Peláez
Tel. +34 902 903 844
media.relations@ab-therapeutics.com
 
Investors:
Carles Domènech, PhD
Tel. +34 935 868 977
contact@ab-therapeutics.com