Cylene Pharmaceuticals to report recent developments of CX-4945 inhibitor at CK2 International Conference

Sep 9 2010

Cylene Pharmaceuticals, Inc. will report recent developments with its first-in-class, oral CK2 inhibitor CX-4945, at the 6th International Conference on Protein Kinase CK2, to be held on September 7-10 in Cologne, Germany, the company announced today. CX-4945 is potentially a dynamic anticancer therapeutic, as both a stand-alone drug and for use in combination therapies. The meeting will be attended by leading CK2 experts and will emphasize the importance of CK2 in many aspects of biology and human disease.

At the conference Cylene scientists will discuss the discovery and development of CX-4945, the first potent and selective inhibitor of protein kinase CK2. A symposium presentation and posters will outline the chemistry expertise that enabled Cylene to rationally design CX-4945, as well as the novel biology that has guided its development.  CK2 is crucial to the development and maintenance of key cancer processes and, as the first clinical CK2 inhibitor, CX-4945 provides an innovative and exciting weapon in the fight against cancer. Specifically, CK2 plays critical roles in the DNA Damage Response, PI3K/Akt and EGF-Receptor pathways, thereby providing a strong mechanistic rationale for the synergistic combination of CX-4945 with many agents that target these same pathways for the treatment of multiple cancers.

"The scientific understanding of CK2 and its multiple roles in cancer cell survival has emerged from the fundamental research performed by scientists attending the International CK2 Conference. Cylene has built upon this knowledge and now has the only clinical stage CK2 inhibitor. We are thrilled with the performance of CX-4945 in the clinic to date and anticipate delivering real benefit to patients in our continuing Phase I and Phase II trials," commented William Rice, PhD, President and CEO of Cylene Pharmaceuticals.