SAN DIEGO, CA and TORONTO, March 23,
2015 /CNW/ - Aptose Biosciences Inc. (NASDAQ: APTO, TSX:
APS), a clinical-stage company developing new therapeutics and
molecular diagnostics that target the underlying mechanisms of
cancer, today announced that William G.
Rice, Ph.D., Chairman, President and Chief Executive
Officer, will present at the upcoming 12th Annual BIO
Asia International Conference on Tuesday,
March 24th at 1:15
p.m. JST at the Grand Hyatt, Tokyo, Japan. Dr. Rice will provide a
corporate overview of the Company's recent activities and strategic
direction including plans to develop Aptose's lead clinical agent
APTO-253 for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), myelodysplastic
syndromes (MDS) and other hematologic malignancies.
The BIO Asia International Conference, co-hosted by the
Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), BioCentury and the Japan
Bioindustry Association (JBA), brings together the global
biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry to explore licensing and
research collaborations in the current Asia-Pacific business and policy environments.
For more information, please
visit https://www.bio.org/events/conferences/bio-asia-international-conference.
About APTO-253
APTO-253 represents an entirely new class of anticancer agents,
which the Company believes may offer a competitive advantage over
conventional drugs. APTO-253 is a small molecule optimized to
induce the tumor suppressor Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4), leading
to apoptotic death in cancer cells that have the KLF4 gene
silenced. This drug candidate has shown selective and potent
antitumor activity in preclinical investigations of certain human
cancers, including solid and liquid tumors, and has demonstrated a
robust safety profile and biological antitumor activity in a prior
Phase 1 clinical trial in patients with solid tumors. APTO-253 is
currently in a Phase 1b, multicenter, open-label, dose-escalation
clinical trial in patients with relapsed or refractory hematologic
malignancies.
About Aptose
Aptose Biosciences is a clinical-stage biotechnology company
committed to discovering and developing personalized therapies
addressing unmet medical needs in oncology. Aptose is advancing new
therapeutics focused on novel cellular targets on the leading edge
of cancer research, coupled with companion diagnostics to identify
the optimal patient population for the Company's products. Aptose's
small molecule cancer therapeutics pipeline includes products
designed to provide enhanced efficacy with existing anti-cancer
therapies and regimens without overlapping toxicities. Aptose
Biosciences Inc. is listed on NASDAQ under the symbol APTO and on
the TSX under the symbol APS. For further information, please visit
www.aptose.com.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within
the meaning of Canadian and U.S. securities laws. Such
statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to
the Company's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions and
other statements including words such as "continue", "expect",
"intend", "will", "should", "would", "may", and other similar
expressions. Such statements reflect our current views with respect
to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties and are
necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that,
while considered reasonable by us are inherently subject to
significant business, economic, competitive, political and social
uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors could cause our
actual results, performance or achievements to be materially
different from any future results, performance or achievements
described in this press release. Such expressed or implied forward
looking statements could include, among others: our ability to
obtain the capital required for research and operations; the
inherent risks in early stage drug development including
demonstrating efficacy; development time/cost and the regulatory
approval process; the progress of our clinical trials; our ability
to find and enter into agreements with potential partners; our
ability to attract and retain key personnel; changing market
conditions; and other risks detailed from time-to-time in our
ongoing quarterly filings, annual information forms, annual reports
and annual filings with Canadian securities regulators and the
United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize,
or should the assumptions set out in the section entitled "Risk
Factors" in our filings with Canadian securities regulators and the
United States Securities and Exchange Commission underlying those
forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary
materially from those described herein. These forward-looking
statements are made as of the date of this press release and we do
not intend, and do not assume any obligation, to update these
forward-looking statements, except as required by law. We cannot
assure you that such statements will prove to be accurate as actual
results and future events could differ materially from those
anticipated in such statements. Investors are cautioned that
forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance
and accordingly investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance
on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty
therein.
SOURCE Aptose Biosciences Inc.