Telik Announces Publication of a Case Report of a Sustained Hematologic Response in Myelodysplastic Syndrome Following an Abbreviated Exposure to Oral Telintra(R) (Ezatiostat HCl)

PALO ALTO, Calif., June 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Telik, Inc. (Nasdaq: TELK) today announced the publication of a case report by Quddus et al., Oral Ezatiostat HCl (Telintra) and Myelodysplastic Syndrome: A case report of sustained hematologic response following an abbreviated exposure. Journal of Hematology & Oncology 2010, 3:16.  This case report describes a patient who experienced a sustained hematologic response in all three blood cell lines continuing for over a year, after an abbreviated course of oral Telintra received while on the current Phase 2 Study in Low to Intermediate-1 Risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome.  A copy of this case report can be found online at http://www.jhoonline.org/content/pdf/1756-8722-3-16.pdf.

Background on MDS and Telintra

The myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a heterogeneous group of clonal hematopoietic stem cell disorders characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis (blood cell production) involving one or more cell lineages (red blood cells, white blood cells or platelets) and a variable risk of transformation to acute myeloid leukemia (AML).  MDS becomes more common with age.  It is estimated that MDS affects approximately 300,000 people worldwide.  According to the American Cancer Society, 10,000–20,000 new cases of MDS are diagnosed each year in the United States, with survival rates ranging from six months to six years.  MDS patients often require blood transfusions to manage their disease.

There remains a critical need for effective, well tolerated therapies for MDS.  Telintra has a novel mechanism of action that inhibits an enzyme called glutathione S-transferase P1-1 which may activate JNK kinase, a key regulator of cellular growth and differentiation of blood precursor cells.  Telintra has been shown to stimulate normal multilineage differentiation of blood stem cell precursors and induce cancer cell death, or apoptosis, in human leukemia cell lines.  Additional information on Telintra is available at www.telik.com

About Telik

Telik, Inc. of Palo Alto, CA, is a clinical stage drug development company focused on discovering and developing small molecule drugs to treat cancer.  The company's most advanced drug candidates in clinical development are Telintra, a modified glutathione analog for the treatment of MDS and Severe Chronic Neutropenia (SCN), and Telcyta® a cancer activated prodrug for the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer and ovarian cancer.  Telik's product candidates were discovered using its proprietary drug discovery technology, TRAP®, which enables the rapid and efficient discovery of small molecule drug candidates.

This press release contains "forward looking" statements regarding the future development of Telintra, the effectiveness of Telintra in treating MDS alone and in combination or following treatment with other drugs, whether Telintra treatment results in hematologic improvement in patients with MDS or offers an alternative to RBC blood transfusions, other potential indications for Telintra, including the treatment of SCN, and the use of Telcyta for the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer and ovarian cancer.  These forward looking statements are based upon Telik's current expectations.  There are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements including among others, if any clinical trial of Telintra is delayed or unsuccessful, Telik's business would suffer; Telik's business would be adversely affected if it is unable to secure partners or raise funding for the continued development of its product candidates; if Telik's competitors develop and market products that are more effective than its product candidates or any product that Telik may develop, or obtain marketing approval before Telik does, Telik's commercial opportunity will be reduced or eliminated; and if Telik does not obtain regulatory approval to market products in the United States and foreign countries, Telik will not be permitted to commercialize it product candidates.  Detailed information regarding factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed or implied by statements in this press release may be found in Telik's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the factors described in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2010.  Telik does not undertake any obligation to update forward looking statements contained in this press release.

Telik, the Telik logo, TELINTRA, TELCYTA and TRAP are trademarks or registered trademarks of Telik, Inc.

SOURCE Telik, Inc.