Data on the Anti-inflammatory Activity of Cempra Pharmaceutical's CEM-101 Will be Presented at the American Thoracic Society 2010 International Conference

CHAPEL HILL, N.C., May 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Cempra Pharmaceuticals today announced the schedule of poster presentations on its next-generation macrolide, CEM-101, at the American Thoracic Society (ATS) 2010 International Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, on May 14 to 19, 2010.

Both posters will be presented during the poster session entitled "C41 Emerging Pharmacology for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Mechanisms and Outcomes" scheduled for 8:15 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. CDT on Tuesday, May 18.

Cempra Pharmaceuticals ATS 2010 International Conference Schedule At-A-Glance

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

About CEM-101

CEM-101 is a next generation macrolide with a number of attributes that may provide clinically important advantages over several comparator products:

• Potent activity, in vitro and in vivo, against all important pathogens that cause community-acquired bacterial pneumonia, including pneumococci, as well as potent activity against a broad spectrum of other serious pathogens including CA-MRSA, M. avium, malaria, atypical bacteria such as Legionella, Mycoplasma, Chlamydophila, and Neisseria
• CEM-101 is generally 8 to 16 times more potent than azithromycin and is active against organisms that have become resistant to azithromycin
• Novel structure and mechanism of action with additional binding sites on the bacterial ribosome that confers activity against erm- and mef-resistant strains
• Good tolerability in phase 1 trials
• Low resistance frequency in vitro
• Excellent tissue distribution and intracellular tissue concentrations
• Oral and IV formulations
• Once-daily dosing
• Potential for indications beyond CABP, including urethritis and other urogenital infections, bioterrorism targets, malaria, M. avium infections and tuberculosis

The annual incidence for pneumonia in the United States is over 5 million patients each year.  There is a growing need for new drugs to address the issues of drug resistance, tolerability, and administration associated with currently available treatments.  Cempra has licensed exclusive worldwide rights from Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc., except in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, to discover, develop and commercialize macrolides from a library of more than 500 compounds from Optimer's OPopS drug discovery platform.

About Cempra Pharmaceuticals

Founded in 2006, Cempra Pharmaceuticals is a privately-held, clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on developing antibacterials to address critical medical needs. Two lead products, both in late-stage clinical trials, address the urgent and increasing need for new treatments targeting drug-resistant bacterial infections in the hospital and in the community. Cempra is well-funded and is committed to developing commercially and medically differentiated and novel products that reduce development risk and provide a high financial return. The company is also utilizing its proprietary compound library and chemistry technology to develop novel macrolides without antibacterial activity for non-antibiotic uses such as COPD, chronic inflammatory and GI disorders. Additional information about Cempra can be found at www.cempra.com.

SOURCE Cempra Pharmaceuticals