Insmed Inc. Releases Investor Fact Sheet with Updates on Drug Development Progress.RICHMOND, Va. -- Insmed Inc. (NASDAQ NASDAQ in full National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations U.S. market for over-the-counter securities. Established in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), NASDAQ is an automated quotation system that reports on :INSM INSM Initiative Neue Soziale Marktwirtschaft (German) INSM Integrated Network and Systems Management ), a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development and commercialization of drugs to treat patients with unmet medical needs, today released an "Investor Fact Sheet" detailing the progress of its drug development programs. The full text of the Fact Sheet is as follows: Focusing on Markets with Unmet Needs Insmed Incorporated (NASDAQ:INSM) is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development and approval of drugs to treat patients with metabolic diseases that currently have limited or no treatment options. Our lead drug, IPLEX[TM], is a complex composed of recombinant human insulin-like growth factor insulin-like growth factor one of the twenty or so substances, additional to the classic bone-regulating hormones, which exert an effect on bone cell metabolism. See also somatomedin C. I and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3. Insmed is presently moving forward on two very specific pathways. We are continuing the development of IPLEX[TM] for additional clinical indications while concurrently studying the emerging generic biologic market, recognizing the potential opportunities that exist in this sector. Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, Insmed maintains a state-of the-art FDA-approved commercial biologic manufacturing facility, Insmed Therapeutic Proteins, in Boulder, Colorado. Background In 2005 IPLEX[TM] was approved for the treatment of growth failure in children with severe primary IGF-1 deficiency (Primary IGFD) and was granted orphan drug status by the United States Food and Drug Administration United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), n.pr a unit of the Public Health Service created to protect the health of the nation against impure and unsafe foods, drugs, and cosmetics. . In March 2007, Insmed settled a patent litigation An action brought in court to enforce a particular right. The act or process of bringing a lawsuit in and of itself; a judicial contest; any dispute. When a person begins a civil lawsuit, the person enters into a process called litigation. suit with Tercica, Inc. and Genentech, Inc. Pursuant to the settlement, Insmed agreed to take IPLEX[TM], which had been on the market for approximately six months, off the market for Primary IGFD and discontinue development in all short stature indications. In return, we retained the right to develop IPLEX[TM] for a wide range of non-short stature indications, with larger patient populations and greater market potential. The IPLEX[TM] Pipeline - Targeted Research IPLEX[TM] is currently being studied as a treatment for several serious medical conditions, Myotonic Muscular Dystrophy Noun 1. myotonic muscular dystrophy - a severe form of muscular dystrophy marked by generalized weakness and muscular wasting that affects the face and feet and hands and neck; difficult speech and difficulty with the hands that spreads to the arms and shoulders and (MMD); Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) (ā'mīətrōf`ik, sklĭrō`sĭs) or motor neuron disease, (ALS Als (äls), Ger. Alsen, island, 121 sq mi (313 sq km), Sønderjylland co., S Denmark, in the Lille Bælt, separated from the mainland by the narrow Alensund. ), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease Lou Geh·rig's disease n. See amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. ; HIV-Associated Adipose adipose /ad·i·pose/ (ad´i-pos) 1. fatty. 2. the fat present in the cells of adipose tissue. ad·i·pose adj. Of, relating to, or composed of animal fat; fatty. Redistribution Syndrome (HARS); and retinopathy of prematurity retinopathy of prematurity n. Abnormal replacement of the sensory retina by fibrous tissue and blood vessels, occurring mainly in premature infants who are placed in a high-oxygen environment. (ROP (1) (Raster Operation) An instruction that manipulates the bits of a bitmapped image in some manner. (2) (RISC Operation) An instruction in a RISC processor. ). Cumulatively, these disorders affect more than 100,000 patients in the United States, and an equal number in the European Union, representing potential markets that could be measured in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Myotonic Muscular Dystrophy Research MMD is the most common form of adult muscular dystrophy, affecting 1 in 8,000 individuals in the United States. Approximately 40,000 Americans are diagnosed with the disease, and close to 60,000 people in the European Union also suffer from this life-threatening disorder. Patients with MMD develop progressive muscle wasting and weakness, cardiovascular problems and digestive complications. In extreme cases patients eventually become totally disabled and typically die from respiratory or cardiac failure. At present there is no treatment to halt or reverse the progression of MMD. IPLEX[TM] is being investigated in an ongoing open label Phase II clinical study at the University of Rochester The University of Rochester (UR) is a private, coeducational and nonsectarian research university located in Rochester, New York. The university is one of 62 elected members of the Association of American Universities. School of Medicine, with funding provided by the Muscular Dystrophy Association The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) is an organization founded in 1950 which combats muscular dystrophy and diseases of the nervous system and muscular system in general by funding research, providing medical and community services, and educating health professionals and the National Institutes of Health. The objective of the Phase II study is to examine the safety, tolerability and initial efficacy of a once-daily, subcutaneous injection of IPLEX[TM] in patients with MMD. We expect initial data from the first of these trials to be available in the second quarter of 2007 and presented at a scientific meeting in the third quarter of 2007. We currently plan to initiate an expanded Phase II trial, with a larger number of participants, by the end of 2007 and enter Phase III clinical trials in early 2009. Italy Requests IPLEX[TM] for ALS Patients In January 2007, Insmed announced that the Italian Ministry of Health had requested IPLEX[TM] for Italian patients suffering from ALS. This life-threatening neuromuscular disease strikes adults in mid-life. In Italy approximately 1,000 new cases of ALS are diagnosed every year. In cooperation with Cephalon, which holds the patent for IGF-1in the European Union, Insmed is currently supplying IPLEX[TM] on a cost recovery basis to these Italian patients under an Expanded Access Program. Data collected through the Expanded Access Program in Italy will be used to design future ALS clinical development studies with IPLEX[TM]. IPLEX[TM] for HARS IPLEX[TM] is being explored as a possible therapy for HARS. An estimated 80,000 HIV HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), either of two closely related retroviruses that invade T-helper lymphocytes and are responsible for AIDS. There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is responsible for the vast majority of AIDS in the United States. patients in the United States have HARS, according to published reports. This disorder is marked by abnormal metabolism including both central fat accumulation (visceral adiposity adiposity /ad·i·pos·i·ty/ (ad?i-pos´i-te) obesity. cerebral adiposity fatness due to cerebral disease, especially of the hypothalamus. adiposity obesity. and buffalo hump) with or without fat loss in the limbs. These features have increased markedly with the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy Noun 1. highly active antiretroviral therapy - a combination of protease inhibitors taken with reverse transcriptase inhibitors; used in treating AIDS and HIV drug cocktail, HAART (HAART HAART highly active antiretroviral therapy. HAART Highly active antiretroviral therapy, triple combination therapy AIDS The concurrent administration of 2 nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors–eg, AZT and 3TC, and a protease ) for HIV. Recent studies performed in subjects on HAART suggest nearly 50% of these individuals develop the morphologic features characteristic of this syndrome. Preliminary data from a Phase II open-label clinical study is currently being analyzed. The study, directed by Morris Schambelan, M.D., a professor of medicine at University of California The University of California has a combined student body of more than 191,000 students, over 1,340,000 living alumni, and a combined systemwide and campus endowment of just over $7.3 billion (8th largest in the United States). San Francisco and Chief of Endocrinology and Director of the General Clinical Research Center at San Francisco General Hospital San Francisco General Hospital is the main public hospital in San Francisco, California, and the only Level I Trauma Center serving San Francisco and San Mateo. The hospital budget is for only 302 beds at SFGH. , is designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of 12 weeks of IPLEX[TM] treatment in subjects with HARS. The primary objective of the study is to determine the effects of IPLEX[TM] on visceral fat distribution, insulin sensitivity and glucose and lipid metabolism. We expect initial data from this trial to be available in 2007, with additional Phase II trials planned to begin in the first half of 2008 and Phase III trials planned to initiate in 2009. IPLEX[TM] for Retinopathy of Prematurity IPLEX[TM] is currently in the first phase of clinical development for the treatment of ROP. This disease, which affects an estimated 14,000 to 16,000 premature infants each year, impedes the development of the small blood vessels in the back of the eye leading to blindness in the majority of cases. A Phase I clinical study investigating IPLEX[TM] as a treatment for ROP has been initiated at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, in collaboration with scientists at the Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School (HMS) is one of the graduate schools of Harvard University. It is a prestigious American medical school located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. in the United States. Ten patients are being enrolled sequentially, with each subsequent patient receiving a higher dose of IPLEX[TM]. The objective of the study is to determine the dose of IPLEX[TM] required to increase serum IGF-1 levels into the normal physiological range. Results of this study are currently expected by the end of 2007, at which point a timeline for future clinical development will be determined. Beyond IPLEX[TM]: Oncology Compounds Insmed has two oncology compounds, rhIGFBP-3 and INSM-18, in development. Both hold promising potential treatments for a variety of cancers. Preclinical models show that one or both treatments interact with the IGF-1 system to reduce tumor growth in models of breast, prostate, lung, colorectal and head and neck cancers. RhIGFBP-3 has demonstrated preclinical efficacy in numerous cancer indications, including breast, prostate, liver, ovarian and colon. Additionally, several lines of recent evidence, from various cell systems, have suggested that rhIGFBP-3 may play a more active, IGF-1-independent role in growth regulation of cancer cells, binding specifically with high affinity to the surface of various cell types and directly inhibiting monolayer growth of these cells in an IGF-1-independent manner. Also recent independent studies have demonstrated that when IGFBP-3 is used in combination with other cancer therapies it can accentuate and even synergize the efficacy of standard cancer therapies. We have an ongoing open label Phase I clinical study with rhIGFBP-3 which is a dose-escalation study designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of a single intravenous dose of rhIGFBP-3. The primary goal of this 30-patient study is to identify the appropriate dose of rhIGFBP-3 for a planned Phase II clinical trial Noun 1. phase II clinical trial - a clinical trial on more persons than in phase I; intended to evaluate the efficacy of a treatment for the condition it is intended to treat; possible side effects are monitored phase II in breast cancer patients. INSM-18 is an orally available, small molecule, tyrosine kinase inhibitor Noun 1. tyrosine kinase inhibitor - a drug used in cases of chronic myeloid leukemia medicament, medication, medicinal drug, medicine - (medicine) something that treats or prevents or alleviates the symptoms of disease . It has demonstrated dual inhibition of the IGF-1 and HER2 receptors. Two single-dose Phase I clinical studies in healthy volunteers have previously been completed with this drug candidate. In both studies, the drug was safe and well-tolerated. Additionally, a Phase I-II dose escalation clinical study designed to define the maximum tolerated dose of INSM-18 in patients with relapsed prostate cancer has been completed at the University of California, San Francisco . This study consisted of a 28-day treatment period at each dose level to investigate the effect of INSM-18 on levels of prostate specific antigen PSA (Prostate specific antigen) A tumor marker associated with prostate cancer. Mentioned in: Tumor Markers (PSA (Professional Services Automation) An information system designed to organize, track and manage all opportunities, work, resources, costs, revenues and invoices to improve the productivity and efficiency of the workforce. ). An analysis of the data collected from the study is currently being conducted, and the results will be used to design further Phase II clinical studies. Manufacturing Edge Our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, Insmed Therapeutic Proteins (ITP ITP - Intent to Package ), is FDA-inspected and approved. Located in the biotechnology hub of Boulder, Colorado, we believe ITP is a significant technological asset for Insmed. Given its advanced protein manufacturing capability, combined with a skilled work force, we believe we are well placed to leverage our protein development and manufacturing expertise in a number of new ventures, either through acquisitions or partnering. As pending legislation is paving the way for affordable and safe alternatives to existing biologics that will soon be coming off patent, we believe our ITP facility and the inherent expertise developed at the site positions Insmed for the potential development of generic biologics Insmed Chairman and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. Dr. Geoffrey Allan testified at the United States House of Representatives Oversight and Government Reform Committee with respect to generic biologics on March 16, 2007, stating, "Insmed has developed significant intellectual capital focused towards protein characterization and purification. We have invested in building the facilities required to manufacture quality recombinant proteins. The combination of our proprietary protein platform with a biogeneric protein platform meets our goal to sustain innovation along with the ability to provide safe and affordable drugs to address a growing economic issue." Insmed has an ongoing development program in the biogeneric area. We are currently at an early stage in developing five protein products which collectively could potentially represent several billion dollars of sales in the United States market. We intend to seek a partner to undertake the commercialization of these protein products. [TABLE OMITTED] For more information about Insmed, or to review our SEC filings, please visit www.insmed.com About Insmed Incorporated Insmed is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of drug candidates for the treatment of metabolic diseases and endocrine disorders with unmet medical needs. For more information, please visit www.insmed.com. Statements included within this press release, which are not historical in nature, may constitute forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA) implemented several significant substantive changes affecting certain cases brought under the federal securities laws, including changes related to pleading, discovery, liability, class representation and awards fees and of 1995. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding planned clinical trial design, our regulatory and business strategies, plans and objectives of management and growth opportunities for existing or proposed products. Such forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including risks that product candidates may fail in the clinic or may not be successfully marketed or manufactured, the company may lack financial resources to complete development of product candidates, the FDA FDA abbr. Food and Drug Administration FDA, n.pr See Food and Drug Administration. FDA, n.pr the abbreviation for the Food and Drug Administration. may interpret the results of our studies differently than we have, competing products may be more successful, demand for new pharmaceutical products may decrease, the biopharmaceutical industry may experience negative market trends and other risks detailed from time to time in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. As a result of these and other risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those described in this press release. For further information with respect to factors that could cause actual results to differ from expectations, reference is made to reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The forward-looking statements made in this release are made only as of the date hereof and Insmed disclaims any intention or responsibility for updating predictions or financial guidance contained in this release. |
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