SAN DIEGO, May 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Sorrento
Therapeutics, Inc. (OTCBB: SRNE; or STI) announced today that its
Fast-Track Advanced Technology Small Business Technology Transfer
Research (STTR) grant (#1R42AI098182-02) from the National
Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a division of
the National Institutes of Health (NIH), supporting the development
of novel human antibody therapeutics to combat Staphylococcus
aureus (S. aureus or Staph) infections, including
methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), was renewed for the
second year of a two year Phase I grant award. Due to the Fast
Track status of the grant, if STI meets certain milestones during
this second year, STI may be awarded Phase II funding of up to
$1 million per year for up to 2
additional years.
Sorrento Therapeutics' anti-MRSA program specifically targets
the auto-inducing peptides (AIPs) central to the quorum sensing
system of S. aureus that controls virulence factor
production, including toxin production. Neutralizing these AIPs
leads to a disruption of bacterial communication (quorum quenching)
and suppresses Staph virulence. In January of 2010, STI obtained an
exclusive license from The Scripps Research
Institute (TSRI) to the quorum quenching technology which
lays the scientific foundation for this program.
"The STI team, together with our academic collaborator Dr.
Jovanka Voyich at the Montana State University, has done tremendous work
in identifying and characterizing fully human anti-AIP antibodies.
Our lead antibody has demonstrated significant protection in
relevant infection models, including localized skin infection and
lethal peritonitis. With the renewal of our anti-MRSA grant award,
NIH remains supportive of funding the innovative approach of quorum
quenching to tackle the serious healthcare burden of Staph
infections," said Barbara Swanson,
Ph.D., the Principal Investigator on the grant and a director of
research at STI. More comprehensive data analyses will be presented
in future conferences or scientific publications.
"We believe that targeting quorum sensing signal molecules using
our proprietary technology is an innovative and promising strategy
for the prevention and possibly treatment of serious S.
aureus infections, including those caused by
antibiotic-resistant MRSA strains, as we expect that our antibodies
may not be affected by existing drug resistances. We look forward
to continue working with our colleagues at Montana State University in developing the novel
human antibody therapeutics against MRSA" said Dr. Gunnar F. Kaufmann, the Senior Director of
Research and Development at STI and co-inventor of the quorum
quenching technology.
For 2005, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
estimated that 94,000 serious invasive MRSA infections occurred in
the U.S. and more than 19,000 Americans died from these infections
- more than from HIV/AIDS. A 2009 study from Duke University Medical Center looking at MRSA
infections associated with surgery found a 35-fold increased risk
of hospital readmission, a 7-fold increased risk of death, and more
than $60,000 of additional charges
per infected patient compared to uninfected patients. While the
number of life-threatening invasive MRSA infections has begun to
decline according to the CDC, a recent report from the Alliance of
Prudent Use of Antibiotics (APUA; www.apua.org) indicated that
antibiotic-resistant infections overall cost the US healthcare
system more than $20 billion each
year.
About Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc.
Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc. is a publicly-traded,
development-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the
discovery, development and commercialization of novel and
proprietary biotherapeutics for the treatment of a variety of
disease conditions, including cancer, inflammation, metabolic and
infectious diseases. STI's objective is to identify drug
development candidates derived from its proprietary human antibody
libraries and, either independently or through partnerships,
advance selected targets into preclinical or clinical development.
In 2012, STI identified and further developed a number of potential
drug product candidates across various therapeutic areas, and STI
intends to select several lead product candidates to progress into
preclinical development activities in 2013. More information is
available at www.sorrentotherapeutics.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements subject
to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to
differ materially from those projected. Words such as "plans,"
"believes," "expects," "anticipates," and "will," and similar
expressions, are intended to identify forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements include statements about the preclinical
and clinical development of quorum quenching technologies and its
prospects, the research and development opportunities presented by
STI's license agreement with TSRI, its potential to receive funding
for a Phase II grant for the anti-MRSA program for up to 2
additional years from the NIAID, whether STI's quorum quenching
technology could lead to the prevention and possibly treatment of
S. aureus, whether the development of anti-MRSA antibody
therapeutics holds great clinical promise and STI's potential
development of human antibody therapeutics. All such
forward-looking statements are based on STI's current beliefs and
expectations, and should not be regarded as a representation by STI
that any of its plans will be achieved. Actual results may differ
materially from those set forth in this press release due to the
risks and uncertainties inherent in STI's businesses; the scope and
validity of patent protection for STI's platform technologies, and
the risk that the development or commercialization of product
candidates may infringe the intellectual property rights of others;
the potential that STI may require substantial additional funding
in order to obtain regulatory approval for and commercialize quorum
quenching technologies or any other product; and additional risks
set forth in Sorrento Therapeutics' filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements represent
Sorrento Therapeutics' judgment as of the date of this release. You
are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. All
forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this
cautionary statement and STI undertakes no obligation to revise or
update this press release to reflect events or circumstances after
the date hereof. This caution is made under the safe harbor
provisions of Section 21E of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995.
Acknowledgement of NIH Support
The project described was supported by Award Number
1R42AI098182-02 from the NIAID. The content herein is solely the
responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent
the official views of the NIAID or the NIH.
SOURCE Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc.