Cellceutix Expands to Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections

BEVERLY, MA--(Marketwired - Mar 5, 2014) - Cellceutix Corporation (OTCQB: CTIX) (the "Company"), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies in oncology, dermatology, and antibiotic applications, is pleased to inform shareholders that several preclinical investigations are underway with several lead compounds in animal models of Gram-negative bacterial infections. The Company is focusing this research on some of the most difficult to treat multi-drug resistant or "pandrug-resistant" bacterium where there is a significant and growing medical need for new therapies.

One set of studies are being done with systemically-administered compounds in tissue infection models with multi-drug resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae. Specific drug-resistant strains of Klebsiella bacteria have rendered today's approved antibiotics completely ineffective, including carbapenems, the last line of defense for Gram-negative drug-resistant bacteria.

A second set of studies is being conducted with topically-administered compounds in models of superficial and deep tissue wounds, such as those encountered on the battlefield. Infecting organisms include multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii. Acinetobacter is an example of long-known bacteria that has now mutated into thousands of resilient strains that thrive in jagged combat wounds, with many resistant to even the most powerful antibiotic treatments available today.

The lead Cellceutix compounds in both sets of studies are small mimics of the host defense proteins that have been discovered to be potently active against these challenging pathogens. The studies are being conducted at a university laboratory.

"Gram-negative infections represent a growing and significant medical need. The organisms included in these studies represent some of the most difficult-to-treat pathogens due to their resistance to available antibiotics," commented Dr. Krishna Menon, Chief Scientific Officer at Cellceutix. "The $560-million agreement between Roche and Polyphor in November for a Phase 2 drug and $191 million-plus deal with Discuva the other week for a technology to discover new therapies highlights just how valuable a new multi-drug resistant Gram-negative antibiotic is today."