Preclinical data of carfilzomib and PR-957 inhibitors to be presented at 2009 ACR/ARHP meeting

Proteolix, Inc. today announced that data from preclinical studies of carfilzomib and PR-957 will be presented at the 2009 ACR/ARHP Annual Scientific Meeting on October 16 - 21 in Philadelphia, PA.

Carfilzomib is the first in a new class of selective, irreversible proteasome inhibitors, and is currently enrolling patients in multiple oncology clinical trials, including a Phase 2 study in patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma. PR-957 is Proteolix's preclinical-stage selective immunoproteasome inhibitor.

Data presented at the ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting support the role for proteasome inhibition - and specifically for targeting the immunoproteasome - in the treatment of autoimmune disorders. In oral presentations on Sunday October 18th, scientists from the University of Rochester Medical Center will present data that demonstrate carfilzomib and PR-957 block inflammatory pathways underlying lupus and involved in disease progression. In multiple mouse models of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), carfilzomib administration on its current clinical dose schedule was effective at reducing clinical signs of disease. These effects are also induced via selective inhibition of the immunoproteasome with PR-957, extending published results that PR-957 blocks disease progression in models of rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune indications. On Monday Oct 19th, Proteolix scientists will present data that demonstrate PR-957 blocks human inflammatory T-cell function in vitro, further supporting the immunoproteasome as a target in autoimmune diseases. Taken together, these data provide a biologic rationale for use of proteasome inhibitors in SLE and other autoimmune disorders.

A complete list of the company's oral and poster presentations at ACR/ARHP follows:

Oral Presentations

Sunday, October 18, 2009: 2:30 p.m. ET

Location: Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Salon H

• Proteasome Inhibitors Block Production of Alpha Interferon and B Cell Activation (Presentation #579)

Sunday, October 18, 2009 at 5:30 p.m. ET

Plenary Session

Location: Pennsylvania Convention Center 204 B

• Novel Proteasome Inhibitors Have a Beneficial Effect in Murine Lupus (Presentation #642)

Poster Presentations

Monday, October 19, 2009: 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. ET

Location: Pennsylvania Convention Center Hall D

• The Selective Immunoproteasome Inhibitor PR-957 Blocks Production of Inflammatory Cytokines by Polarized Th1 and Th17 Cells without Affecting TGF-B Production by Regulatory T-Cells (Presentation #1080)

SOURCE Proteolix, Inc.