NEW YORK, Feb. 24, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BeyondSpring Pharmaceuticals Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of innovative cancer therapies including a Phase III immuno-oncology compound and a strong pipeline in collaboration with Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, announced today that Lan Huang, PhD, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, is scheduled to present at the 4th Annual Cancer Biopartnering & Investment Forum, being held February 24, 2016 at the New York Academy of Sciences in New York City.
Dr. Huang’s presentation will discuss updates on the Phase 3 clinical trial of lead oncology compound Plinabulin and upcoming milestones. The presentation will take place on Wednesday, February 24th 2016 at 3:20 pm EST on Track C at the New York Academy of Sciences.
Dr. Huang commented, “We are pleased to be able to participate in the The 4th Annual Cancer Biopartnering & Investment Forum. This is an excellent platform to showcase our recent clinical developments and upcoming plans with the biotech and financial communities. I look forward to sharing more on the Company strategy and our lead drug, Plinabulin’s potential as an effective anti-cancer drug.”
The 4th Annual Cancer Biopartnering & Investment Forum will focus on key areas of advances in the field of oncology. The event is designed to bring together leading investors, analysts, money managers and senior executives from pharma and biotech companies. This forum offers excellent opportunities to showcase activities and highlight investment and partnership opportunities.
About Plinabulin
BeyondSpring’s lead therapeutic candidate, Plinabulin, has begun a Phase III study to treat non-small-cell lung carcinoma (“NSCLC”). This 550-patient clinical trial is being conducted in the United States, China, and Australia. Evaluation and enrollment of patients in the U.S. has commenced, with additional sites to be added. The company recently announced that the China Food and Drug Administration (“CFDA”) has given a CTA (Clinical Trial Authorization) for the initiation of the China arm of the study.
Plinabulin has been evaluated in over 140 patients in the U.S. and select international locations. It has demonstrated promising anti-cancer activity in addition to a favorable safety profile. Plinabulin works via multiple mechanisms of action to alter the tumor microenvironment such as: 1) acting as an immuno-oncology agent to induce dendritic cell maturation and antigen specific T cell activation; 2) obliterating existing tumor vasculature by inhibiting tubulin polymerization and 3) activating the JNK pathway to induce tumor cell apoptosis. Plinabulin may be particularly effective against large tumors because of their more abundant tumor vasculature and greater tumor antigen. BeyondSpring is investigating additional clinical programs for Plinabulin in combination with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors and for other indications.
About BeyondSpring Pharmaceuticals
BeyondSpring Pharmaceuticals is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of innovative cancer therapies. BeyondSpring is focused on the advancement and commercialization of Plinabulin, a novel, Phase III cancer therapeutic initially targeting non-small-cell lung cancer.
Operationally, BeyondSpring utilizes a unique U.S.-China co-development platform to optimize clinical development speed while reducing costs. The Company has significant experience interacting with the FDA and CFDA. Thus, patient recruitment and clinical trials can be run simultaneously in both geographies, which offers the potential to substantially lower the cost of drug discovery/development and increase the speed of advancing novel therapies to clinical trials and, ultimately, to the market.
The Company has additional next-generation immuno-oncology assets, as well as a technology platform for targeted drugs and at least 6 new development compounds per year through a recently established 5 year research collaboration with the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
Led by an expert management team consisting of pharmaceutical industry veterans from the U.S. and China, the Company is well positioned to further advance lead product candidate, Plinabulin, and its other programs. For more information, visit www.beyondspringpharma.com.
CONTACT: Contact: The Ruth Group Lee Roth (investors) lroth@theruthgroup.com (646) 536-7012 Kirsten Thomas (media) kthomas@theruthgroup.com (508) 280-6592
