Tengion Announces New Kidney Data at TERMIS
Highlights Include Additional Efficacy Data in Large Animals with Chronic Kidney Disease and New Mechanism of Action Data Presented for the Neo-Kidney Augment™ Program
EAST NORRITON, Pa., December 7, 2010 --Tengion, Inc. (NASDAQ: TNGN), a leader in regenerative medicine, today announced that data from the Company’s Neo-Kidney Augment™, Neo-GI Augment™, and Neo-Urinary Conduit™ programs are being featured in several posters and oral presentations at the TERMIS North America annual meeting being held December 5-8, in Orlando, Florida. Key data featured include the first presentations on the Neo-Kidney Augment mechanism of action, product formulation, and additional efficacy data from an ongoing study in a large animal model demonstrating the ability of the Neo-Kidney Augment program to improve kidney function in animals at risk of kidney failure. Additional new data are being presented demonstrating that the technology used with the Neo-Urinary Conduit can be successfully applied to stimulate regeneration of gastrointestinal tissue based on proof-of-concept studies for the Neo-GI Augment program.
“In the Neo-Kidney Augment program, we continue to see consistency of results in four preclinical models tested, all showing beneficial effects towards the prevention of kidney failure,” said Tim Bertram, DVM, Ph.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of Tengion. “Importantly, new data on the mechanism of action suggest that our approach has meaningful local effects on both fibrotic and inflammatory response pathways in the regenerating kidney. In addition, our data now demonstrate the potential to extend the Neo-Urinary Conduit tubular technology platform to esophageal and intestinal tissues.”
The presentations, posters, and abstracts are available on Tengion’s website:
Neo-Kidney Augment
http://www.tengion.com/news/documents.cfm#4
Oral Presentation
- Bioactive Renal Cells Augment Renal Function in the ZSF1 model of
Diabetic Nephropathy
Posters
- Paracrine Factors Derived from Bioactive Kidney Cells Provide
Anti-fibrotic Signals in vitro and may Mediate Regenerative
Outcomes in vivo
- Secreted Factors from Bioactive Kidney Cells Attenuate NF-kappa-B
Signaling Pathways: Implications for a Paracrine Mechanism of
Immune Regulation and Regenerative Outcomes
- In vivo Evaluation of Biomaterials in Mammalian Kidney
- Mammalian Kidney Nephrogenic Response to Primary Renal
Cell/Biomaterial-based Neo-Kidney Augment™ Prototype
Neo-GI Augment http://www.tengion.com/news/documents.cfm#5
Posters
- Esophageal Tissue Engineering using an Organ Regeneration
Technology Platform
- Tissue Engineering of Small Intestines using a Neo-Urinary Organ
Regeneration Technology
Neo-Urinary Conduit
http://www.tengion.com/news/documents.cfm#2
Oral Presentation
- Characterization of Autologous Smooth Muscle Cells Following
Treatment with Bladder Cancer Drugs
Posters
- Development of a Bioreactor System for Preparation of Tubular
Organs
- A Regenerative Urinary Diversion Tissue-Engineered from
Autologous Smooth Muscle Cells and a Biodegradable Scaffold
- Regeneration of Native-Like Mucocutaneous Region at the
Skin-Conduit Junction Following Neo-Urinary Conduit™
Implantation
About Tengion
Tengion, a clinical-stage biotechnology company, has pioneered the
Organ Regeneration Platform™ that enables the Company to
create proprietary product candidates that are intended to harness
the intrinsic regenerative pathways of the body to produce a range
of native-like organs and tissues. Tengion’s product
candidates seek to eliminate the need to utilize other tissues of
the body for a purpose to which they are poorly suited, procure
donor organs or administer anti-rejection medications. An initial
clinical trial is ongoing for the Company’s lead product
candidate, the Neo-Urinary Conduit™, an autologous implant
that is intended to catalyze regeneration of native-like bladder
tissue for bladder cancer patients requiring a urinary diversion
following bladder removal. The Company’s lead preclinical
program is the Neo-Kidney Augment™, which is designed to
delay or prevent the need for dialysis or transplantation in
patients at risk for kidney failure. Tengion has also applied its
technology in two Phase II clinical trials for Tengion's
Neo-Bladder Augment™ for the treatment of neurogenic bladder.
Tengion has worldwide rights to its product candidates. For more
information, please visit www.tengion.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements set forth above may constitute forward-looking
statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to the Company's:
(i) plans to develop and commercialize its product candidates,
including the Neo- Kidney Augment and the Neo-Urinary Conduit; and
(ii) expectations regarding ongoing and planned preclinical studies
and clinical trials. Although Tengion believes that these
statements are based upon reasonable assumptions within the bounds
of its knowledge of its business and operations, there are a number
of factors that may cause actual results to differ from these
statements. For instance there can be no assurance that: (i) the
Company will be able to obtain the capital it needs to develop its
product candidates or continue as a going concern; (ii) the Company
will be able to successfully enroll patients in its clinical
trials, including its Phase I clinical trial for the Neo-Urinary
Conduit; (iii) patients enrolled in the Company's clinical trials
will not experience adverse events related to the Company's product
candidates, which could delay clinical trials or cause the Company
to terminate the development of a product candidate; (iv) the
results of the clinical trial for the Neo-Urinary Conduit will
support further development of that product candidate; (v) data
from the Company's ongoing preclinical studies will continue to be
supportive of advancing its preclinical product candidates; and
(vi) the Company will be able to progress its product candidates
that are undergoing preclinical testing, including the Neo-Kidney
Augment, into clinical trials. For additional factors which could
cause actual results to differ from expectations, reference is made
to the reports filed by the Company with the Securities and
Exchange Commission under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended. The forward looking statements in this release are made
only as of the date hereof and the Company disclaims any intention
or responsibility for updating predictions or expectations in this
release.
Investor Contact:
Brian Davis
brian.davis@tengion.com
267.960.4802
Media Contact:
Mark Stejbach
mark.stejbach@tengion.com
267.960.4884
Posted: December 2010
