– Artemis Therapeutics, Inc. (OTCQB: ATMS), (“Artemis” or the “Company”), a pharmaceutical company developing new therapies for the treatment of infectious diseases, including cytomegalovirus and malaria, today announced that new data on its lead product candidate Artemisone shows it is a potent inhibitor of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) replication in preclinical assays. The company’s chief medical officer, Dana Wolf, M.D., Ph.D., will share the data in an oral presentation on June 9th at the American Society of Microbiology annual meeting in Atlanta (ASM Microbe 2018), as part of Session 305, CMV Resistance: Limited Options but a Promising Future.
“CMV is a major cause of disease in immunocompromised individuals, such as stem cell and other transplant patients. The combination of a growing patient population and the limitations of existing antiviral treatments underscore the need for new antiviral agents with alternative modes of action,” said Brian Culley, CEO of Artemis. “While we previously have shown Artemisone’s potential against malaria in a clinical setting, this is our first presentation at a scientific meeting of Artemisone’s potential to work against HCMV and the preclinical results are highly promising. We are honored for Dr. Wolf to be presenting these data at the ASM meeting and look forward to moving this program into the clinic next year and reporting additional results soon.”
Dr. Wolf’s presentation will provide data that shows Artemisone effectively inhibits laboratory-adapted and low-passage clinical strains of HCMV as well as drug-resistant HCMV strains. Further, its antiviral efficacy is not only comparable to ganciclovir, but also approximately 10-fold greater than artesunate in all cell lines studied. The data indicates Artemisone is a reversible HCMV inhibitor, targeting an earlier phase of the viral replication cycle than does ganciclovir, suggesting a novel mechanism of action.
A peer-reviewed publication of the new data is forthcoming.
ASM Microbe 2018 is an annual meeting which connects scientists with their science, showcases the best microbial sciences in the world, and provides a one-of-a-kind forum to explore the complete spectrum of microbiology from basic science to translation and application. Interested parties may follow @ASMicrobiology on Twitter and use #ASMicrobe for the latest meeting updates. Additional information on the meeting can be found here.
About Artemisone
Artemis’ lead product candidate, Artemisone (ar-tem-iss-ohn), is being developed as a best-in-class treatment for malaria and first-in-class treatment for CMV. Artemisone is a semi-synthetic 10-alpha-amino derivative of artemisinin, the discovery of which shared one-half of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Artemisone was selected as a therapeutic product candidate based on properties that distinguish it from other artemisinin derivatives, including greater potency, lower predicted neurotoxicity, better stability, half-life, and solubility. Notably, Artemisone relies on a non-DHA metabolic pathway, which distinguishes it from currently used artemisinins. This feature may provide important clinical advantages in terms of fighting resistance, blocking disease transmission, or treating severe and/or cerebral malaria. Additionally, recent laboratory research has shown that the antiviral potency of Artemisone against human cytomegalovirus (CMV) is as robust as the current FDA-approved agent, ganciclovir, and approximately ten times greater than that of a related compound, artesunate. Further in vitro studies with Artemisone have demonstrated efficacy against drug-resistant strains of CMV with evidence for a novel mechanism of action.
About Artemis Therapeutics
Artemis Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of new therapies for the treatment and prevention of severe and life-threatening infectious diseases. The Company’s lead product candidate, Artemisone, is a semi-synthetic artemisinin derivative with potent antiviral and antiparasitic properties. The Company currently is evaluating Artemisone for the treatment of P. falciparum malaria and human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections, including stem cell transplant CMV, solid organ transplant CMV, and congenital CMV. Artemis also plans to evaluate Artemisone for the treatment of additional viral and parasitic diseases. More information is available on the Company’s website: www.artemis-therapeutics.com and Twitter: @ArtemisThera.
Forward Looking Statements:
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, as amended, including those relating to the Company’s product development, clinical and regulatory timelines, market opportunity, competitive position, possible or assumed future results of operations, business strategies, potential growth opportunities and other statement that are predictive in nature. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about the industry and markets in which we operate and management’s current beliefs and assumptions.
These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking expressions, including, but not limited to, “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “estimate,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “would” and similar expressions and the negatives of those terms. These statements relate to future events or our financial performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include those set forth in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
SOURCE Artemis Therapeutics, Inc.
