Tau Therapeutics LLC to Present Posters at AACR on T-Type Calcium Channel Inhibitors and Interlaced Therapy

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Mar 29, 2012 – Tau Therapeutics LLC announced today that its academic collaborators will present three posters at the American Association of Cancer Research’s 103rd annual meeting in Chicago, Illinois, March 31 – April 4, 2012. The posters will highlight the company’s non-toxic, selective T-type calcium channel inhibitors for the treatment of brain and breast cancers. The company’s approach, called Interlaced Therapy™, capitalizes on the central role of calcium influx through T-type calcium channels during cancer cell growth. In pre-clinical studies, T-type calcium channel blockade with Tau’s drugs arrests tumor cells at their most vulnerable metabolic point in the cell cycle, uniquely amplifying the effects of conventional therapies and overcoming drug resistance.

“The data to be presented at AACR provides further validation for our mechanism of action – the T-type calcium channel – and our novel method – Interlaced Therapy™,” said Dr. Lloyd Gray, Chief Scientific Officer of Tau Therapeutics LLC. “We are excited to have more data that demonstrate the potential for our drugs to have real impact on the lives of cancer patients.”

The three posters to be presented are:

Dr. Stephen Keir of Duke University will present his late-breaking results entitled “Mibefradil, a Novel Therapy for Glioblastoma: An Interlaced Therapy Approach.”

Dr. Jaroslaw Dziegielewski of the University of Virginia will present his late-breaking results entitled “Targeting T-type Calcium Channels Induces the Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway and Sensitizes Glioblastoma Cancer Cells to Radio- and Chemotherapy.”

Dr. Ming Li of Tulane University will present his results entitled “Mibefradil Increases Paclitaxel’s Effect on MCF-7 Cell Proliferation In Vitro and In Vivo.”

About Tau Therapeutics LLC

Tau Therapeutics is a clinical stage company developing oncology drugs for solid tumors that selectively inhibit the T-type calcium channel. Tau Therapeutics is a private company based in Charlottesville, VA.

Forward-Looking Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, and includes statements that are not historical facts. Actual results could differ significantly from results discussed. Tau Therapeutics LLC disclaims any intent or obligation to update forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

Contact: Tau Therapeutics LLC
Andrew Krouse, 434-974-6969
krouse@tautherapeutics.com
http://www.tautherapeutics.com

Posted: March 2012

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Biocept to Present at the 103rd AACR Annual Meeting on New Analytic Methods for Circulating Tumor Cell Analysis, Including SelectorTM, Ultra-Sensitive Mutation Detection Technology

SAN DIEGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Apr 2, 2012 – Biocept, Inc., a privately-held, CLIA certified laboratory testing company focused on detection and analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in cancer patients, announced that it will be presenting three posters at the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, being held in Chicago March 31 – April 4. The presentations will cover the company’s ultra-sensitive mutation detection technology, SelectorTM, which is being applied to CTC analysis and other clinical and research applications where nucleic acid analysis requires exceptional sensitivity and specificity, as well as biomarker analysis in CTCs related to breast and prostate cancer.

The Selector presentation, entitled “The CEE-Selector Assay: A Tool for the Identification of Rare Allele Variants” (Alexiadis, V., et al) will take place on Tuesday, April 3rd, from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm (Abstract #3198). Selector is a proprietary, highly sensitive mutation detection technology that offers unprecedented sensitivity and specificity. It is able to detect rare mutations in complex wild-type genomic backgrounds with a ratio of greater than 1 in 10,000. It was developed at Biocept, initially for analysis of mutations in rare CTCs, and will be utilized in the company’s future tests, including OncoCEE-LUTM for non-small cell lung cancer and OncoCEE-CRTM for colorectal cancer. Additionally, Biocept has recently demonstrated broader utility for the technology, including detection of mutations in cell-free circulating DNA (cfcDNA) in the plasma of cancer patients. For example, it was able to identify the tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance mutation T790M in the EGFR gene in lung cancer patients, where ratios of mutant to wild-type gene ranged down to 0.004%. Dr. Lyle Arnold, CSO and Sr. Vice President, R&D at Biocept, commented, “The sensitivity and precision of this technology will enable completely new analyses. We expect to be able to detect and track the rise of a clonal group of cancer cells harboring a specific mutation even before it becomes clinically significant, allowing treatment at a very early stage.”

A second presentation is entitled “Estrogen Receptor and Progesterone Receptor Immunochemistry Staining in Circulating Tumor Cells as Compared to Primary Tumor or Metastatic Biopsy” (Mayer, JA, et al), which will take place on Tuesday, April 3rd, from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm (Abstract #4568) and will cover a study performed in collaboration with researchers at Columbia University Medical Center demonstrating high concordance of hormone status in breast cancer patients between CTCs and tumor tissue by staining with fluorescently labeled antibodies. The third poster, entitled “Increased Detection of Circulating Prostate Epithelial Tumor Cells on Microfluidic Channels Using Enhanced Staining and Automated Scanning” (Pircher, TJ, et al), addresses technology developed by the company to detect cytokeratin negative CTCs with a new staining technique called CEE-EnhancedTM as well as with anti-PSA antibodies, and to automate the detection of these cells with scanning technology and microscopy, and will take place on Monday, April 2nd, from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm (Abstract #2390). These abstracts reflect technology that is being added to Biocept’s platform and test products to enhance CTC capture, detection and analysis.

Biocept’s first CTC test, OncoCEE-BRTM for breast cancer, is now available through Biocept and its commercialization partner, Clarient, Inc., a GE Healthcare Company. The test includes CTC enumeration and determination of HER2 status by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) from a blood sample. Determination of estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) status by immunocytochemical staining will be added to the test later this year, and early next year, respectively. OncoCEE-BR is the first commercially available CTC test to include analysis of a specific, treatment-associated biomarker (HER2).

About Biocept, Inc.

Biocept, Inc., headquartered in San Diego, California, is an advanced laboratory services company specializing in the capture, isolation, detection and analysis of Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs). Biocept’s mission is to enhance the lives of cancer patients through the development of innovative diagnostic products and services. Biocept utilizes patented and innovative technologies to deliver clinically relevant and actionable information to physicians that enable better patient care. This includes clinical assessments of CTCs, both prognostic and predictive, which may provide physicians with important information for the treatment of their patients with cancer.

Contact: Biocept, Inc.
Michael Dunn
1 858 320-8200
Web site: http://www.biocept.com/

Posted: April 2012

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Astex Pharmaceuticals to Present at AACR Annual Meeting

DUBLIN, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Mar 29, 2012 – Astex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASTX), a pharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery and development of novel small molecule therapeutics, today announced the acceptance of fourteen abstracts for presentation at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 2012 Annual Meeting. Oral and poster presentations will occur on March 31, April 1-3 in Chicago, IL.

Highlights include two oral presentations and two poster presentations on SGI-110, Astex’s novel second generation DNMT inhibitor, and a poster presentation on new data from the first in class dual IAP inhibitor program:

Nine additional presentations will highlight new data on the company’s drug development programs with AT13387 (HSP90 inhibitor), AT9283 (JAK/Aurora inhibitor), AT13148 (AGC Kinase inhibitor), MetAP2 inhibitors, PKM2 (Pyruvate Kinase) activators, and second generation PIM Kinase inhibitors. Select posters will be made available for viewing on the company’s website http://www.astx.com following the public presentation.

About Astex Pharmaceuticals

Astex Pharmaceuticals is dedicated to the discovery and development of novel small molecule therapeutics with a focus on oncology. The Company is developing a proprietary pipeline of novel therapies and is creating de-risked products for partnership with leading pharmaceutical companies. Astex Pharmaceuticals developed Dacogen® (decitabine) for Injection and receives significant royalties on global sales.

For more information about Astex Pharmaceuticals, Inc., please visit http://www.astx.com.

Contact: Astex Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Timothy L. Enns, 925-560-2810
Senior Vice President
Corporate Communications & Marketing
tim.enns@astx.com
Susanna Chau, 925-560-2845
Manager
Investor Relations
susanna.chau@astx.com
or
The Trout Group
Alan Roemer, 646-378-2945
Managing Director
aroemer@troutgroup.com
or
College Hill
Melanie Toyne-Sewell (Europe), +44 20 7866 7866
Rebecca Skye Dietrich (US), 857-241-0795
astex@collegehill.com

Posted: March 2012

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