Access Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Presents MuGard Clinical Experience at MASCC Conference
MuGard Clinical Experience Reflects Delayed Onset, Significant Reduction in Pain, and Ease-of-Use in the Management of Oral Mucositis and Stomatitis
DALLAS and NEW YORK, June 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ACCESS
PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. (OTC:ACCP) (BULLETIN BOARD: ACCP) , a
biopharmaceutical company specializing in products for cancer and
supportive care, is presenting a scientific poster today at the
Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC)
Conference in Vancouver, B.C. The poster presentation, co-authored
by Dr. David Nowotnik of Access Pharmaceuticals and Dr. Caroline
Dumas of SpePharm Holdings, summarizes MuGard clinical experience
from cancer patients globally undergoing radiotherapy and/or
chemotherapy. To date, clinical experience shows that MuGard
provides significant clinical benefit and is effective in the
management of oral mucositis/stomatitis as well as other conditions
of the oral cavity involving erythema. Key points from the poster
include:
-- MuGard is indicated in Europe for the prevention and management of
oral mucositis, and has been used by over 2,000 cancer patients
globally. A total of 185 documented patients from various studies
utilized MuGard in both prophylactic and curative settings.
-- European clinical experience was collected in six centers in three
countries, and included cancer patients treated with radiotherapy
and/or chemotherapy; one-third of the patients presented with head and
neck cancer, and most received MuGard for existing lesions.
-- Clinical experience showed a greater than 50% reduction in pain and
oral discomfort. In an evaluation managed by Access' China partner,
RHEI Pharmaceuticals, oral discomfort or pain scores as assessed by
visual analog scales were reduced significantly within days of initial
MuGard treatment; the reduction in pain and oral discomfort was
consistent with European clinical experience, and is correlated with a
reduction in the use of pain meds.
-- 42% of the patients using MuGard in a US clinical program never
exceeded an Oral Mucositis Assessment Scale (OMAS) score of 0.5 versus
7% in the control groups, underscoring the potential for oral
mucositis prevention; overall comparison showed that patients treated
with MuGard had significantly lower OMAS scores when compared to the
three control groups. The largest benefit was observed when patients
used MuGard on the first day they started cancer therapy and continued
using MuGard during the entire duration of treatment.
-- Treatment was globally well accepted in over 85% of patients and no
treatment related adverse reactions were reported.
-- MuGard lowered erythema (a precursor inflammatory condition to OM)
scores in subjects with various oral inflammatory conditions,
including patients with xerostomia, cheilitis and stomatitis.
-- Patients and healthcare professionals like MuGard's ready-to-use
formulation, and Access believes it supports treatment compliance by
patients.
"Access is pleased with the early clinical experience that
supports the prophylactic and curative profile of MuGard and we
believe it is a critical weapon in the clinician arsenal to deal
with the debilitating condition of oral mucositis," stated Jeffrey
B. Davis, Access' President and CEO. He continued, "We remain on
track with the commercial development of MuGard in the US and we
look forward to keeping the oncology community and our shareholders
current with ongoing clinical experience and our overall
commercialization efforts."
This MuGard clinical experience poster presentation follows the
Oral Mucositis (OM) Workshop last Tuesday, which was sponsored by
Access and held at the British Columbia Cancer Research Centre in
Vancouver. The workshop featured leading industry experts covering
various topics concerning the disease, from pathogenesis and
clinical factors to prevention and management of oral
mucositis.
MASCC, or the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in
Cancer, is the leading international organization dedicated to the
research and education in all aspects of supportive care for
patients with cancer. It joined forces with the International
Society of Oral Oncology (ISOO) in 1998, and its members represent
over sixty countries. The MASCC/ISOO membership includes oncology
medical, surgical, and radiology physicians, nurses, dentists,
dental hygienists, pharmacists and representatives from industry
and non-profit sectors. Symposia are convened annually to share the
most recent research in supportive care from throughout the
world.
About MuGard:
MuGard is a novel, ready-to-use mucoadhesive oral wound rinse
and coating for the management of oral mucositis, a debilitating
side effect of many anticancer treatments. Up to 40% of all
patients receiving chemotherapy and radiotherapy develop moderate
to severe mucositis, and almost all patients receiving radiotherapy
for head and neck cancer and those undergoing stem cell
transplantation develop mucositis. Updated clinical practice
guidelines for the prevention and treatment of mucositis recommend
the use of a preventive oral care regimen as part of routine
supportive care along with a therapeutic oral care regimen if
mucositis develops. The market for the treatment of oral mucositis
is estimated to be in excess of $1 billion world-wide.
About Access:
Access Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is an emerging biopharmaceutical
company that develops and commercializes proprietary products for
the treatment and supportive care of cancer patients. Access'
products include ProLindac(TM), currently in Phase II clinical
testing of patients with ovarian cancer, and MuGard(TM) for the
management of patients with mucositis. The company also has other
advanced drug delivery technologies including
Cobalamin(TM)-mediated targeted delivery and oral drug delivery,
its proprietary nanopolymer delivery technologies based on the
natural vitamin B12 uptake mechanisms and Thiarabine, a new
generation nucleoside analog which has demonstrated both
pre-clinical and clinical activity in certain cancers. For
additional information on Access Pharmaceuticals, please visit our
website at www.accesspharma.com.
This press release contains certain statements that are
forward-looking within the meaning of Section 27a of the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended, and that involve risks and uncertainties.
These statements include those relating to: our cash burn rate,
clinical trial plans and timelines and clinical results for
ProLindac, MuGard, Thiarabine and Cobalamin and other product
candidates, our ability to achieve clinical and commercial success
and our ability to successfully develop marketed products. These
statements are subject to numerous risks, including but not limited
Access' need to obtain additional financing in order to continue
the clinical trial and operations and to the risks detailed in
Access' Annual Reports on Form 10-K and other reports filed by
Access with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Contact: Company Contact: Investor Relations
Donald C. Weinberger/Diana Bittner
Christine Berni (media)
Director of Investor Relations Wolfe Axelrod Weinberger Assoc. LLC
Access Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (212) 370-4500
(212) 786-6208
Source: Access Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
CONTACT: Christine Berni, Director of Investor Relations of
Access
Pharmaceuticals, Inc., +1-212-786-6208; or investors, Donald C.
Weinberger, or
media, Diana Bittner, both of Wolfe Axelrod Weinberger Assoc.
LLC,
+1-212-370-4500
Web Site: http://www.accesspharma.com/
Posted: June 2010
