A New Breed of Targeted Cancer Therapeutics & Stem Cell Advancements; Effective ProDrug Therapeutics Approach for GenSpera

CORAL SPRINGS, Florida, June 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

Healthcare industry update: companies develop advanced technologies and approaches for cancer treatment, clinical data reveals progress: GenSpera, Inc. (OTC: GNSZ), Seattle Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ: SGEN), OXiGENE, Inc. (NASDAQ: OXGN),  Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE), GlaxoSmithKline plc (NYSE: GSK) and StemCells Inc. (NASDAQ: STEM)

GenSpera, Inc. (OTCQB:GNSZ), a leader in developing prodrug therapeutics for the treatment of cancer, announces that Chairman and CEO, Craig Dionne, PhD, will deliver a company overview at the 2014 BIO International Convention, on Tuesday, June 24^th, at 11:15 PDT, in San Diego, CA (http://mybio.org/search/all?terms=GenSpera).  Dr. Dionne will give an update of the ongoing G-202 Phase II trials in both hepatocellular carcinoma and glioblastoma patients and discuss upcoming milestones, as well as deliver a general GenSpera overview.  The Company will release the BIO presentation and update to investors following the June 24^th session.

To read the full press release, please click here: http://fnmprofiles.com/profiles-gnsz.html

GenSpera's technology platform combines a powerful, plant-derived cytotoxin (thapsigargin) with a prodrug delivery system that provides for the targeted release of drug candidates within a tumor. Unlike typical chemotherapeutic agents, thapsigargin results in cell death irrespective of the rate of cell division, which may provide an effective approach to kill both fast- and slow-growing cancers. GenSpera's lead drug candidate, G-202, is activated by the enzyme PSMA, which is found at high levels in the vasculature of liver and glioblastoma cancers and in the vasculature of almost all other solid tumors. G-202 is therefore expected to have potential efficacy in a wide variety of tumor types.

Seattle Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ: SGEN) recently presented interim phase 1 clinical data from SGN-CD19A, an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) in development for the treatment of B-cell malignancies, at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 50^th Annual Meeting in Chicago, IL. SGN-CD19A is an ADC targeting CD19, a protein expressed on B-cell malignancies.

OXiGENE, Inc. (NASDAQ: OXGN) a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, develops therapeutics primarily to treat cancer. The company focuses on developing vascular disrupting agents (VDAs) that disrupt abnormal blood vessels associated with solid tumor progression. Its principal clinical product candidate is ZYBRESTAT, which is in development as a treatment for solid tumors. The company is also developing OXi4503, a second-generation product candidate for acute myeloid leukemia. On Thursday, OXGN closed up .94% on over 727,000 shares traded.

Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) recently announced that they have entered into a global strategic collaboration to develop Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell (CAR-T) immunotherapies in the field of oncology directed at select targets. Cellectis' CAR-T platform technology provides a proprietary, allogeneic approach (utilizing engineered T-cells from a single donor for use in multiple patients) to developing CAR-T therapies that is distinct from other autologous approaches (engineering a patient's own T-cells to target tumor cells). Under the terms of the agreement, Pfizer has exclusive rights to pursue development and commercialization of CAR-T therapies, in the field of oncology, directed at a total of fifteen targets selected by Pfizer. Both companies will work together on preclinical research and Pfizer will be responsible for the development and potential commercialization of any CAR-T therapies for the Pfizer-selected targets.  

GlaxoSmithKline plc (NYSE: GSK) and Theravance, Inc. (NASDAQ: THRX) recently announced positive results from two phase III studies, which showed that patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who received the anticholinergic, Incruse™ Ellipta^®(umeclidinium (UMEC) 62.5mcg), or umeclidinium 125mcg (an unlicensed dose) in addition to Relvar^®/Breo^® Ellipta^® (fluticasone furoate/vilanterol, "FF/VI"), an inhaled corticosteroid / long-acting beta₂-agonist combination, achieved an additional improvement in lung function (FEV₁) compared to patients receiving FF/VI plus placebo. The studies showed that for the primary endpoint of trough FEV₁ at Day 85, the addition of UMEC 62.5mcg or UMEC 125mcg to FF/VI 100/25mcg resulted in a statistically significant improvement in lung function when compared with FF/VI 100/25mcg plus placebo in patients with COPD.

StemCells Inc. (NASDAQ: STEM) recently reported positive interim results from its Phase I/II clinical trial of the Company's proprietary HuCNS-SC® human neural stem cell platform in dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) at the 12th annual meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) in Vancouver, Canada. Interim trial results show a 65 percent reduction in the rate of geographic atrophy (GA) in the study eye when compared to the expected natural history of the disease as well as a 70 percent reduction in the rate of GA when compared to the control eye. GA is the progressive loss of two important retinal tissue layers, the photoreceptors and the retinal pigmented epithelium. This degeneration is the cause of vision loss in dry AMD. Interim results also indicate improvements in visual function, as measured by the ability to distinguish shades of light versus dark, also referred to as "contrast sensitivity." Contrast sensitivity was improved in four of the seven patients and remained stable in the other three patients. The interim analysis is based on a minimum follow up of at least 6 months and demonstrates a favorable safety profile for administration of the HuCNS-SC cells into the sub-retinal space of the study eye.

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