Cylene Pharmaceuticals to present data on CK2 inhibitor at ASH Annual Meeting

Cylene Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has been selected to present data describing the activity of their first-in-class CK2 inhibitor at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH), to be held on December 4-7 in Orlando, FL, the company announced today.  Kenna Anderes, VP Cancer Biology at Cylene, will discuss research on targeting CK2, a protein kinase that is essential for the progression of multiple myeloma but that has not been previously exploited as an anticancer target.  As the only CK2 inhibitor to have entered clinical trials, Cylene's pioneering compound, CX-4945, represents a promising new therapeutic approach to the treatment of this life-threatening blood cancer.

"The data from Kenna's lab demonstrates the importance of CK2 as a target for cancer therapeutics, validating our decision to move CX-4945 into humans.  We take pride both in being the first to take a CK2 compound into the clinic and in the recognition by ASH of the importance of this groundbreaking research," commented William G. Rice, PhD, President and CEO of Cylene Pharmaceuticals.  "The recently initiated trial in multiple myeloma is being conducted by Farnoush Abar, MD and Richard Maziarz, MD at the Oregon Health & Science University Knight Cancer Institute and by investigators who are part of the US Oncology Research nationwide network.  This trial is designed both to treat patients and simultaneously to expand our understanding of the precise role of CK2 in myeloma.  Molecular level characterization of patient samples alongside their response to CX-4945 will increase the likelihood that targeted treatment with CX-4945 will address this large unmet medical need."

The presentation schedule is:

Monday, December 6, 2010: 4:30 PM

Title: CX-4945, a Selective and Orally Biovailable Inhibitor of Protein Kinase CK2 Inhibits PI3K/Akt, JAK-STAT and NF-κBSignaling and Induces Apoptosis in Multiple Myeloma Cells

Session: Myeloma – Pathophysiology and Preclinical Studies, excluding Therapy: Multiple Myeloma – Molecular Target-Based Therapy

Location: Orange County Convention Center, 314