Two abstracts describing preclinical studies with GMI-1070 selected for oral presentations

Dec 8 2009

GlycoMimetics, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a new class of glycobiology-based therapies for a broad range of indications, today announced that two abstracts describing preclinical studies with GMI-1070 have been selected for oral presentations at the 51st Annual American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting being held December 5-8 in New Orleans. Results of a Phase 1 clinical trial of GMI-1070 were also accepted for poster presentation.

The two oral presentations describe the results of a series of experiments demonstrating the activity of GMI-1070 in cancer-related studies. GMI-1070 is a rationally-designed carbohydrate mimic (or "glycomimetic") that has been shown to inhibit inflammation and cell trafficking in several animal models of disease.

The first presentation describes the results of studies performed in collaboration with researchers at The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts. In animal models, GMI-1070 was shown to inhibit the homing of multiple myeloma cells to the bone marrow, a key phase of the disease. These data will be presented on Tuesday, December 8, 2009 at 8:30 a.m. during the Myeloma - Pathophysiology and Preclinical Studies excluding Therapy: Targeting the Plasma Cell Microenvironment oral session in a presentation titled “The Role of Selectins in the Pathogenesis of Multiple Myeloma” (Abstract #951).

The second presentation describes the results of studies performed in collaboration with scientists at the Mater Medical Research Institute in Brisbane, Australia suggesting that GMI-1070 may protect bone marrow from certain toxic effects of chemotherapy. These data, “Absence or blockage of E-selectin-mediated cell adhesion delays hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) turn-over and enhances chemoresistance” (Abstract #564), will be presented on Monday, December 7, 2009 at 4:00 p.m. during the Hematopoiesis - Microenvironment, Cell Adhesion and Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Homing to the Niche oral session.

In addition, the results of a recently completed Phase 1 clinical study of GMI-1070 were presented in a poster presentation and have been accepted for publication in the 2009 volume of the meeting’s Education Program. The poster, “Safety, Tolerability and Pharmacokinetics of GMI-1070, a Pan-Selectin Inhibitor for Treatment of Vaso-Occlusive Crisis: Single and Multiple Dose Studies in Healthy Volunteers” (Abstract 1526), details results of Phase 1 safety studies of GMI-1070 in healthy volunteers in which GMI-1070 was shown to be safe and well tolerated in single doses ranging from 5 to 40 mg/kg and multiple doses given over several days. It concludes that the trial supports the further evaluation of GMI-1070 for the treatment of sickle cell patients in vaso-occlusive crisis. A pilot study of GMI-1070 is currently underway in patients with sickle cell disease. The poster was part of the Hemoglobinopathies, excluding Thalassemia Poster I session on Saturday, December 5, 2009, 5:30-7:30 p.m.