WPD Pharmaceuticals' STAT3 Inhibitor Received FDA Approval of IND Status in Pediatric Brain Cancer Trial

Emory University granted approval to begin important clinical trial

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WPD Pharmaceuticals Inc. (CSE: WBIO)(FSE: 8SV1) (the “Company” or “WPD”), a clinical stage pharmaceutical company is pleased to provide an update on its WP1066 drug in the treatment of pediatric brain cancer. Through Moleculin Biotech, Inc. (“Moleculin”)(Nasdaq:MBRX), WPD’s license partner, the WP1066 drug candidate received FDA approval for Investigational New Drug ("IND") status to be used in a Phase 1 clinical trial for the treatment of children with recurrent or refractory malignant brain tumors. 

The request was made by physician researchers at Emory University, including Dr. Tobey MacDonald, Professor of the Department of Pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine, Director of Pediatric Neuro-Oncology at Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and Principle Investigator for this clinical trial.  The trial will be conducted at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.

Mariusz Olejniczak, CEO of WPD commented "Receiving FDA approval at any stage of research and development is important and validates the work on WP1066. WP1066 is currently in a clinical trial for adult patients with glioblastoma and melanoma metastases to the brain at MD Anderson Cancer Center, and this is a logical extension of that research.  Preclinical research at Emory University indicated that WP1066 had a significant anti-tumor effect on medulloblastoma cell lines, and we feel encouraged by the potentially new opportunity for treatment of this rare condition."

About Moleculin Biotech, Inc.

Moleculin Biotech, Inc. is a clinical stage pharmaceutical company focused on the development of a broad portfolio of oncology drug candidates for the treatment of highly resistant tumors. The Company's clinical stage drugs are: Annamycin, a Next Generation Anthracycline, designed to avoid multidrug resistance mechanisms with little to no cardiotoxicity being studied for the treatment of relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia, more commonly referred to as AML, WP1066, an Immune/Transcription Modulator capable of inhibiting p-STAT3 and other oncogenic transcription factors while also stimulating a natural immune response, targeting brain tumors, pancreatic cancer and hematologic malignancies, and WP1220, an analog to WP1066, for the topical treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Moleculin is also engaged in preclinical development of additional drug candidates, including other Immune/Transcription Modulators, as well as compounds capable of Metabolism/Glycosylation Inhibition.