Summit Therapeutics Supports Ninth Annual Rare Disease Day
10 March 2016 - 11:46AM
Summit Therapeutics plc (NASDAQ:SMMT) (LSE:SUMM), the drug
discovery and development company advancing therapies for Duchenne
muscular dystrophy (‘DMD’) and Clostridium difficile infection,
announces today its support for the ninth annual Rare Disease Day
on 29 February 2016. The Rare Disease Day 2016 theme, Patient
Voice, recognises the crucial role that patients play in voicing
their needs and in initiating change that improves their lives and
the lives of their families and carers.
“On this ninth annual Rare Disease Day, we at
Summit take this opportunity to pay tribute to all patients and
their families living with rare diseases,” commented Glyn
Edwards, Chief Executive Officer of Summit
Therapeutics. “The patient and parent voice is
playing a vital role in the development of our utrophin modulator
therapies that offer the potential to treat all boys and men living
with the rare disease, DMD, and Summit has an unwavering commitment
towards bringing hope for all those affected by this disease.”
In the European Union a rare disease is defined
as one that affects fewer than 5 in 10,000 of the general
population while in the United States, it is defined as one that
affects fewer than 200,000 people. There are between 6,000
and 8,000 known rare diseases with around five new rare diseases
described in the literature each week. Rare diseases are
often chronic and life threatening and include rare conditions such
as childhood cancers and some other well-known conditions including
cystic fibrosis and DMD.
Rare Disease Day takes place on the last day of
February each year. The main objective of Rare Disease Day is to
raise awareness among the general public and decision-makers about
rare diseases and their impact on patients' lives. Rare Disease Day
was launched in Europe in 2008 by EURORDIS, the organisation
representing rare disease patients in Europe. It is now observed in
more than 80 nations, and is sponsored in the U.S. by the National
Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). For more information,
please visit www.rarediseaseday.org.
About DMD and Utrophin
ModulationDMD is a progressive muscle wasting disease that
affects around 50,000 boys and young men in the developed world.
The disease is caused by different genetic faults in the gene that
encodes dystrophin, a protein that is essential for the healthy
function of all muscles. There is currently no cure for DMD and
life expectancy is into the late twenties.
Utrophin protein is functionally and
structurally similar to dystrophin. In preclinical studies, the
continued expression of utrophin had a meaningful, positive effect
on muscle performance. Summit believes that utrophin modulation has
the potential to slow down or even stop the progression of DMD,
regardless of the underlying dystrophin gene mutation. Summit also
believes that utrophin modulation could potentially be
complementary to other therapeutic approaches for DMD. The
Company’s lead utrophin modulator is an orally administered, small
molecule called SMT C1100 that is about to enter a Phase 2 proof of
concept clinical trial in patients with DMD. DMD is an orphan
disease, and the US Food and Drug Administration and the European
Medicines Agency have granted orphan drug status to SMT C1100.
Orphan drugs receive a number of benefits including additional
regulatory support and a period of market exclusivity following
approval.
About Summit Therapeutics
Summit is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery,
development and commercialisation of novel medicines for
indications for which there are no existing or only inadequate
therapies. Summit is conducting clinical programmes focused on the
genetic disease Duchenne muscular dystrophy and the infectious
disease C. difficile infection. Further information is available at
www.summitplc.com and Summit can be followed on Twitter
(@summitplc).
For more information, please contact:
Summit Glyn Edwards / Richard Pye
(UK office)Erik Ostrowski / Michelle Avery (US office) |
Tel: +44 (0)1235 443 951+1 617 225 4455
|
Cairn Financial Advisers LLP(Nominated
Adviser)Liam Murray / Tony Rawlinson |
Tel: +44 (0)20 77148 7900 |
N+1 Singer (Broker)Aubrey Powell / Jen
Boorer |
Tel: +44 (0)20 7496 3000 |
Peckwater PR(Financial public relations,
UK)Tarquin Edwards |
Tel: +44
(0)7879 458 364 tarquin.edwards@peckwaterpr.co.uk |
MacDougall Biomedical Communications(US media
contact)Chris Erdman |
Tel: +1
781 235 3060cerdman@macbiocom.com |
Forward-looking StatementsAny statements in
this press release about Summit’s future expectations, plans and
prospects, including but not limited to, statements about the
clinical and preclinical development of Summit’s product
candidates, the therapeutic potential of Summit’s product
candidates, and the timing of initiation, completion and
availability of data from clinical trials, and other statements
containing the words "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could,"
"estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "potential,"
"predict," "project," "should," "target," "would," and similar
expressions, constitute forward looking statements within the
meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such
forward-looking statements as a result of various important
factors, including: the uncertainties inherent in the initiation of
future clinical trials, availability and timing of data from
on-going and future clinical trials and the results of such trials,
whether preliminary results from a clinical trial will be
predictive of the final results of that trial or whether results of
early clinical trials or preclinical studies will be indicative of
the results of later clinical trials, expectations for regulatory
approvals, availability of funding sufficient for Summit’s
foreseeable and unforeseeable operating expenses and capital
expenditure requirements and other factors discussed in the "Risk
Factors" section of filings that Summit makes with the Securities
and Exchange Commission including Summit’s Annual Report on Form
20-F for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2015. Accordingly
readers should not place undue reliance on forward looking
statements or information. In addition, any forward looking
statements included in this press release represent Summit’s views
only as of the date of this release and should not be relied upon
as representing Summit’s views as of any subsequent date. Summit
specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking
statements included in this press release.
-END-
Summit Therapeutics (NASDAQ:SMMT)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jun 2024 to Jul 2024
Summit Therapeutics (NASDAQ:SMMT)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jul 2023 to Jul 2024