WPD Pharmaceuticals’ WP1220 Drug Demonstrates Median Reduction of 56% in Skin Cancer Lesions in Clinical Trials

Data Presented at the 4th Annual World Congress of Cutaneous Lymphomas in Barcelona, Feb 2020

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 18, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WPD Pharmaceuticals Inc. (CSE: WBIO)(FSE: 8SV1) (the “Company” or “WPD”), a clinical stage pharmaceutical company, in collaboration with license partner, Moleculin Biotech, Inc. (“Moleculin”)(Nasdaq: MBRX) is pleased to announce the final data from the CTCL clinical trial of WP1220 for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), which was published and presented by Dr. M. Sokolowska-Wojdylo in conjunction with the 4^th Annual World Congress of Cutaneous Lymphomas in Barcelona, Spain on February 13, 2020. 

WP1220 is part of WPD’s p-STAT3 inhibitor drug portfolio and is the first drug used in monotherapy for patients with CTCL, usually located in the lymphatic system of the skin and often mistaken with psoriasis or eczema. The final results supported the safety of topical WP1220 and demonstrated a median improvement in the Composite Assessment of Index Lesion Severity (CAILS) score of 56% in treated (index) lesions for patients completing the study. 

Mariusz Olejniczak, CEO of WPD commented, “We are encouraged by the results which could be considered a significant breakthrough in cancer research. Our continued collaborative work with Moleculin has been very successful and look forward to advancing our research with such an experienced and world class team."

"Late last year, we announced the preliminary results of this proof of concept Phase 1 trial.  For years, p-STAT3 (the activated form of STAT3) has been considered an 'undruggable' target because of the difficulty of reaching and affecting this cell-signaling protein," commented Walter Klemp, Moleculin's Chairman and CEO.  “The results of this trial are encouraging with 56% reduction in skin cancer lesions, and we feel strongly that this treatment could be a viable treatment for decreasing CTCL.”

Introduction & Objectives: Mycosis Fungoides (“MF”), the most common variant of CTCL, is a disease with symptomatic, disfiguring skin lesions. STAT3, an oncogenic transcription factor, has been identified as a critical regulator of MF, whereby the activation of STAT3 through phosphorylation (p-STAT3) has been linked to tumor proliferation and suppression of immune responses. WP1220, a synthetic compound, potently inhibits the activity of p-STAT3 and the growth of CTCL cell lines. This Phase 1b study was designed to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of WP1220 after topical treatment of MF.