FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact:
MultiCell Technologies, Inc.
Dr. Stephen Chang, CEO
401-333-0610
MCETInvestor@MultiCelltech.com
SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MultiCell Technologies, Inc., developing first-in-class drugs based on advanced immune system modulation technologies, announced today it has reached a developmental milestone to advance its colorectal cancer lead therapeutic candidate to preclinical development status. MCT-475 is indicated as a prospective treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer, the third leading cause of death among both men and women in the United States. MCT-475 is a patent pending antigen-presenting immunoglobulin therapeutic which is intended to be co-administered with MCT-465, a Toll-like Receptor (TLR) agonist.
“Previously we demonstrated that co-administration of MCT-465 with our patent pending antigen-presenting immunoglobulin therapeutic IgNP prototype completely destroyed tumors, and prevented mortality and recurrence in animal models,” said Dr. Stephen Chang, President and CEO of Multicell Technologies. “MCT-475 is designed to activate the adaptive immune system to target unique structural motifs located on the surface of human metastatic colorectal cancer cells, while MCT-465 is designed to activate the innate immune system through TLR signaling. Working together, MCT-475 and MCT-465 stimulate the body’s immune system to target and kill metastatic colorectal cells.”
Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in both men and women in the United States, and remains the third leading cause of death from cancer in the United States. The American Cancer Society estimates that about 145,000 new cases of colorectal cancer were reported in 2005.
According to the World Health Organization's April 2003 report on global cancer rates more than 940,000 new cases of colorectal cancer, and nearly 500,000 deaths are reported worldwide each year. The overall 5-year survival rate from the various types of colorectal cancer is approximately 60%, whereas for metastatic colorectal cancer, the 5-year survival rate is about 5%.
Risk factors for metastatic cancer include age, a diet rich in fat and cholesterol, inflammatory bowel disease, and genetic predisposition. If detected early, colorectal cancer is curable by surgery. Chemotherapy can prolong survival in patients where the disease has metastasized and reached the lymph nodes.
MultiCell is an innovator in the science of modulating the human immune system with unique platform technologies, focusing on the development of breakthrough drugs to treat serious diseases, including multiple sclerosis, type-1 diabetes, influenza, and cancer.
About MultiCell Technologies, Inc.
MultiCell Technologies, Inc. is an integrated biopharmaceutical company committed to the development of breakthrough therapeutics based on a portfolio of therapeutic candidates and patented drug development technology. MultiCell's drug development program is focused on modulation of the immune system.
MultiCell's therapeutic pipeline includes drug candidates some of which are in various advanced stages of human clinical trials. These therapies include:
MCT-125 for the treatment of chronic fatigue in MS patients.
MCT-175 for the treatment of relapsing-remitting MS.
MCT-275 for the treatment of type-1 diabetes.
MCT-465 an adjuvant therapy for the treatment of virus infection and cancer.
MCT-475 for the treatment of colorectal cancer.
The Company also holds unique cell-based technology for use in drug discovery screening applications, and is a leading producer of the cell lines needed by the biotechnology industry to develop new drugs. For more information about MultiCell Technologies, please visit http://www.multicelltech.com.
