LAGUNA HILLS, Calif., April 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- NanoSmart^® and NanoValent, private pharmaceutical companies developing novel cancer pharmaceuticals, have entered into a research collaboration agreement to explore the feasibility of jointly developing an ANA-conjugated liposomal doxorubicin nanoparticle for the treatment of ovarian cancer and other solid tumors.

The joint project combines NanoValent's hybrid polymerized liposomal nanoparticle (HPLN), which can be loaded with chemotherapeutic substances for safer drug delivery, and NanoSmart's patented anti-nuclear antibody (ANA), a platform technology that targets areas of necrosis present in all solid tumors.

"We are very pleased to work with NanoValent to explore a combined product," states Dr. James Smith, President of NanoSmart. "We believe that coating their HPLN nanocontainer with our targeting ANA will enable us to achieve new levels of safety and efficacy."

Both companies have acquired promising early data indicating that their platforms improve the safety and efficacy of existing cancer drugs. For example, a targeted doxorubicin-loaded HPLN formulation developed by NanoValent has been shown to release its cargo inside cancer cells about ten times more effectively than the conventional untargeted product. Separately, using an in vivo animal model of efficacy, NanoSmart acquired preliminary data demonstrating that targeting liposomal doxorubicin with ANA substantially suppressed tumor growth and decreased mortality for the duration of the study.

"NanoValent's HPLN nanocontainer lowers the toxic side effects of drugs like doxorubin, widening the safety window of the drug," explains Dr. Doug Dolginow, President and CEO of NanoValent. "The combination of our respective platforms provides a substantial opportunity to improve treatment options for a wide variety of cancers."

About NanoValent Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and NanoSmart Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

NanoValent Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a private company developing a patented nanoparticle platform for the treatment of different types of cancer, and for theranostic and vaccine applications. NanoSmart Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a private company focused on using its patented tumor-targeting antibodies to develop a variety of biopharmaceuticals to treat many different types of cancer.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release may contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties associated with product development and other business operations. The Companies' drug compounds are not approved by the FDA or other comparable regulatory agency. There can be no assurance that these forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and they should not be regarded as a representation by either company that their objectives and plans will be achieved.

Contact

Dan Thiel, Investor Relations
(310) 951-3282; dthiel@nanosmartpharma.com

SOURCE NanoSmart Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; NanoValent Pharmaceuticals, Inc.