CureFAKtor Pharmaceuticals Demonstrates Novel Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) Inhibitor Disrupts FAK-VEGFR3 Interaction and Inhibits Pancreatic Tumor Growth

CHICAGO, April 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- CureFAKtor Pharmaceuticals, LLC, a privately-held biopharmaceutical company focused on the research and development of Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) inhibitors for cancer, today presented preclinical research results at the 2012 AACR Annual Meeting in Chicago, Illinois demonstrating that analogs of novel FAK inhibitor CFAK-C4 disrupted FAK-vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3 (FAK-VEGFR3) interaction and inhibited pancreatic tumor growth. The research was conducted by CureFAKtor scientists at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York.  

In the poster presentation, Structure activity relationship studies of novel FAK inhibitor C4, CureFAKtor Chief Scientific Officer and company Founder Dr. William Cance, and Senior Scientist and company Co-Founder Dr. Elena Kurenova, reported that oral small molecule FAK inhibitor C4 analogs disrupt FAK-VEGFR3 interaction and dramatically inhibit pancreatic tumor growth at low concentrations as single agents as well as in combination with Gemcitabine, demonstrating synergistic effect.  In vivo, 30 days treatment with low doses of the four analogs led to massive reduction in tumor growth when treated as single agents (60%) and in combination with Gemcitabine (80%)(P<0.05). The C4 analogs displayed enhanced potency, minimum toxicity and high specificity for the target site. 

CureFAKtor Pharmaceuticals recently presented pre-clinical research results at the AACR- EORTC-NCI Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics Conference in San Francisco, California and at European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 13th World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer in Barcelona, Spain demonstrating that FAK inhibitors targeting the binding site of VEGFR-3 decrease pancreatic tumor blood flow and reduce blood vessel density in vivo.  In a poster presentation, CureFAKtor's lead small molecule compound, CFAK-C4, revealed significant reduction in tumor vascular volume and permeability in CFAK-C4-treated pancreatic tumors. 

A CureFAKtor study pinpointed the site of interaction of VEGFR-3 and FAK to create small molecule drugs capable of disrupting signaling and causing death of many types of cancer cells. CFAK-C4, reduced tumor growth in vivo in human pancreatic cancer mice model by up to 60 percent, and CFAK-C4 combined with chemotherapy drug gemcitabine had a synergistic effect and led to 80 percent tumor growth reduction.  Pancreatic cancer is a disease with the lowest survival rate of any cancer and limited patient treatment options.

About Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK)
Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) is substantially over-expressed in many solid tumors. FAK operates at the contact points between tumor cells and the extra cellular matrix that surrounds them. Studies by CureFAKtor and others found that in this role, FAK is an important facilitator for signals that cause tumor cells to survive, grow, and produce new blood vessels to sustain growth and travel to distant places within the body where they may establish new tumor sites. It also cocoons the tumor cells to protect them from the body's natural signaling mechanisms that would cause deviant tumor cells to be eliminated.

About CureFAKtor Pharmaceuticals
CureFAKtor Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the research and development of Focal Adhesion Kinase therapies to prevent or treat cancer.  The Company has identified more than 40 compounds that target specific FAK signaling sites.  CureFAKtor's investigational and combination therapy products target pancreatic, breast, colon, melanoma, and lung and brain oncology disorders. CureFAKtor research is conducted at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute.  CureFAKtor is planning a Phase I clinical study of its lead compound CFAK-C4 in combination with gemcitabine chemotherapy, the current standard of care for solid tumors, in 2012.  CureFAKtor received Orphan Drug Designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for CFAK-C4 in combination with gemcitabine for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.  For additional information about CureFAKtor Pharmaceuticals contact [email protected] or 716.525.3985. 

SOURCE CureFAKtor Pharmaceuticals, LLC