Blood journal publishes GMI-1070 pre-clinical data in sickle cell disease model

GlycoMimetics, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a new class of glycobiology-based therapies for a broad range of indications, today announced that the journal Blood has published pre-clinical data on the company's lead compound GMI-1070 in a model of sickle cell disease. The article, "GMI-1070, a novel pan-selectin antagonist, reverses acute vascular occlusions in sickle cell mice," presents pre-clinical data supporting testing of GMI-1070 in clinical trials to treat patients with vaso-occlusive crisis of sickle cell disease. The article is accompanied by a commentary entitled "Mightier Than the Sickle Cell," which discusses the biological mechanism involved in the activity of GMI-1070 in the sickle cell model.

“It provides key support for the Company's clinical program in sickle cell disease, which is targeting treatment of vaso-occlusive crisis - the disease's main clinical feature. Currently, there are no mechanism-based therapies for treatment of vaso-occlusive crisis, which is a significant clinical problem.”

"We are very pleased to have this important data published in Blood," said John Magnani, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of GlycoMimetics. "It provides key support for the Company's clinical program in sickle cell disease, which is targeting treatment of vaso-occlusive crisis - the disease's main clinical feature. Currently, there are no mechanism-based therapies for treatment of vaso-occlusive crisis, which is a significant clinical problem. "

In the Blood paper, investigators describe experiments testing GMI-1070 in a mouse model of sickle cell crisis. In that model, GMI-1070 rapidly reverses vaso-occlusion. The experiments were performed in the laboratory of Dr. Paul Frenette at the Mount Sinai College of Medicine in New York. GMI-1070 is currently is Phase 2 clinical testing in patients experiencing vaso-occlusive crisis.

The paper is available on line at http://bloodjournal.hematologylibrary.org/cgi/content/abstract/116/10/1779