Solidifies Company's Leadership Position in Targeting Chemokine Receptor
CCR9 for Gastrointestinal Diseases
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Oct. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- ChemoCentryx, Inc.,
announced today that it has initiated a Phase I clinical trial of CCX025,
the company's fourth investigational new drug and second orally
administered compound that inhibits the chemokine receptor known as CCR9.
Structurally distinct from Traficet-EN(TM) (CCX282-B; ChemoCentryx's CCR9
antagonist currently in a Phase II/III clinical trial for Crohn's disease),
CCX025 strengthens ChemoCentryx's position in the CCR9 arena and expands
the company's gastrointestinal franchise with the potential to pursue
different clinical indications with discrete compounds.
"With the advancement of CCX025 into the clinic, ChemoCentryx can
pursue a greater breadth of diseases associated with CCR9 receptor
inhibition with the clear advantage of having two structurally distinct,
very potent and highly-selective oral therapeutics," said Thomas J. Schall,
Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of ChemoCentryx. "CCX025 is
our fourth product candidate in the clinic, all discovered and developed at
ChemoCentryx, and establishes our position as a leader in the industry in
developing chemokine-based therapeutics."
The Phase I double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of CCX025 is being
conducted in healthy male and female volunteers to evaluate the safety,
tolerability and pharmacokinetics of CCX025 over a range of dose levels. In
preclinical studies, the compound has been shown to be well-tolerated and
highly selective. Like Traficet-EN, CCX025 is differentiated from existing
inflammatory bowel disease therapies such as biologics (which are typically
injected or infused), steroids and immunosuppressives and may offer a
novel, safe and conveniently administered treatment option.
CCX025 and Traficet-EN are oral, highly-specific inhibitors of the
chemokine receptor known as 'CCR9', which is predominantly expressed by
inflammatory T cells. Targeting the CCR9 chemokine receptor represents a
novel approach for the treatment of Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and
other inflammatory disorders of the gastrointestinal system. This chemokine
receptor is known to play a pivotal role in the migration of inflammatory T
cells to the digestive tract, resulting in the persistent inflammation and
tissue damage underlying these diseases. CCR9 is one of four defined
chemokine and chemoattractant receptor targets covered under a 2006
alliance between ChemoCentryx and GlaxoSmithKline's Center of Excellence
for External Drug Discovery (CEEDD), under which GSK has option rights to
license certain product candidates.
About ChemoCentryx
ChemoCentryx, Inc., is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company
focused on discovering, developing and commercializing orally-administered
therapeutics that target the chemokine and chemoattractant systems in order
to treat autoimmune diseases, inflammatory disorders and cancer. The
chemokine system is a network of secreted chemokine molecules, or ligands,
and cell surface receptors that regulates inflammation. Based on its
proprietary drug discovery and drug development platform, ChemoCentryx has
internally generated multiple clinical and preclinical-stage programs, each
targeting distinct chemokine and chemoattractant receptors with different
small molecule compounds. ChemoCentryx's lead compound, Traficet-EN, a
specific CCR9 antagonist, is currently in a Phase II/III multi-national
clinical trial, called PROTECT-1, in patients with moderate-to-severe
Crohn's disease. CCX025, also a CCR9 antagonist, is in a Phase I clinical
trial. Additional clinical programs include the development of CCX140,
which targets the CCR2 receptor, currently in a Phase I clinical trial and
intended for subsequent development to treat diseases such as vascular
restenosis, Type 2 diabetes and/or multiple sclerosis; and CCX354, a CCR1
antagonist currently in a Phase I clinical trial, being developed for
inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. ChemoCentryx is
privately held. For more information, please refer to
http://www.chemocentryx.com.
Any statements in this press release about ChemoCentryx's expectations,
beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are
not historical facts and are forward-looking statements. These statements
are often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as
may, believe, will, expect, anticipate, estimate, intend, predict, seek,
potential, continue, plan, should, could and would or the negative of these
terms or other comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are not
guarantees of performance. They involve known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and assumptions that may cause actual results, levels of
activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from any
results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or
implied by any forward-looking statement. Some of the risks, uncertainties
and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from
estimates or projections contained in the forward-looking statements
include but are not limited to (i) the initiation, timing, progress and
results of ChemoCentryx's preclinical studies and clinical trials, (ii)
ChemoCentryx's ability to advance product candidates into clinical trials,
(iii) GSK's exercise of its license options, (iv) the commercialization of
ChemoCentryx's product candidates, (v) the implementation of ChemoCentryx's
business model, strategic plans for its business, product candidates and
technology, (vi) ChemoCentryx's ability to maintain and establish
collaborations or obtain additional government grant funding, (vii)
ChemoCentryx's estimates of its expenses, future revenues, capital
requirements and its needs for additional financing, (viii) the timing or
likelihood of regulatory filings and approvals, (ix) the availability of
corporate partners, (x) the scope of protection ChemoCentryx is able to
establish and maintain for intellectual property rights covering its
product candidates and technology, (xi) the impact of competitive products
and technological changes, (xii) the availability of capital and the cost
of capital, (xiii) ChemoCentryx's financial performance, (xiv) developments
relating to ChemoCentryx's competitors and other vagaries in the
biotechnology industry and (xv) other risks.
You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. All forward-looking
statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement and
ChemoCentryx undertakes no obligation to revise or update this press
release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. This
caution is made under the safe harbor provisions of Section 21E of the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
SOURCE ChemoCentryx, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.chemocentryx.com
CONTACT:
Susan M. Kanaya, Senior Vice President,
Finance and Chief Financial Officer, or Markus J. Cappel, Ph.D.,
Chief Business Officer, both of ChemoCentryx, Inc.,
+1-650-210-2900, investor@chemocentryx.com; or media, Karen L.
Bergman, mobile, +1-650-575-1509, or Susan Pietropaolo, mobile,
+1-201-923-2049 both of BCC Partners, for ChemoCentryx, Inc.
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