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Key ONCONASE(R) Findings Presented at AACR Special Lung Cancer Conference
BLOOMFIELD, N.J., Feb. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alfacell Corporation (Nasdaq: ACEL - News), a global leader and pioneer in the research, development and commercialization of ribonucleases for the treatment of cancer and other therapeutic applications, today announced that the results of a number of significant experiments are being presented this week at the American Association for Cancer Research's Molecular Pathogenesis of Lung Cancer: Opportunities for Translation to the Clinic conference in San Diego, California.
"ONCONASE(R) exhibits tumoricidal effects on cell cultures and animals for the treatment of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)," stated Intae Lee, Ph.D., Director of Small Animal Imaging and Animal Model Core, Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania. "Our animal studies show that ONCONASE alone effectively kills cancer cells with manageable toxicity. ONCONASE improves radiation response and enhances the efficacy of commonly used chemotherapeutic agents (such as cisplatin and carboplatin) in human NSCLC xenografts of nude mice. We will continue to examine the physiological mechanisms of ONCONASE using a non-invasive imaging method, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), to strengthen the validity and design of future NSCLC clinical trials."
"These impressive findings further underscore the broad spectrum of ONCONASE activity in cancer indications," stated Kuslima Shogen, Chief Executive Officer of Alfacell Corporation. "These important pre-clinical findings are being taken into consideration in the development of our NSCLC Clinical Program. According to industry analysts and in light of the fact that approximately one million new cases of NSCLC area diagnosed annually, the market for NSCLC drugs is projected to exceed $4 billion by 2012."
About ONCONASE(R)
ONCONASE(R), Alfacell's lead investigational drug candidate, is currently being evaluated in a confirmatory Phase IIIb study as a treatment for malignant mesothelioma (MM), an asbestos-related cancer. Over 50 sites in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Australia are participating in the trial. The global MM market is estimated at $300M annually.
About NSCLC
According to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide among men and women. NSCLC is the most common form of lung cancer, accounting for 80 percent of all lung cancer cases. In 2004, NSCLC accounted for approximately 160,000 deaths in the United States.
About Alfacell Corporation
Alfacell Corporation is a global leader and pioneer in the research, development and commercialization of ribonucleases. Its mission is to develop new therapeutics based on our ribonuclease technology for the treatment of cancer, infectious diseases and other life-threatening conditions. For more information, please visit www.alfacell.com.
This press release includes statements that may constitute "forward- looking" statements, usually containing the words "believe", "estimate", "project", "expect" or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Factors that would cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, uncertainties involved in transitioning from concept to product, uncertainties involving the ability of the Company to finance research and development activities, potential challenges to or violations of patents, uncertainties regarding the outcome of clinical trials, the Company's ability to secure necessary approvals from regulatory agencies, dependence upon third-party vendors, and other risks discussed in the Company's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. By making these forward-looking statements, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release.
Contact:
Alfacell Corporation: Financial Inquiries:
Kuslima Shogen RJ Falkner & Company, Inc.
Andrew Savadelis Investor Relations Counsel
(973) 748-8082 (800) 377-9893
info@alfacell.com info@rjfalkner.com
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Source: Alfacell Corporation
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