KNOXVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Provectus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTCQB: PVCT, http://www.pvct.com), a development-stage oncology and dermatology biopharmaceutical company, announced that research exploring the mechanism of action of Rose Bengal was presented at the 8th World Congress of Melanoma, which took place July 17 – July 20, 2013 in Hamburg, Germany.
Provectus’s intralesional PV-10, a 10% solution of Rose Bengal (RB) that is currently being examined as a novel cancer therapeutic, is designed to selectively target and destroy cancer cells without harming surrounding healthy tissue, and significantly reduce the potential for systemic side effects. Rose Bengal is a well-recognized photosensitizer and its phototoxicity has been well-documented. Its cytotoxic mechanism of action in the absence of light activation, however, is less well understood.
Researchers from The Centenary Institute, Newtown, Australia; and The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Woolloongabba, Australia, explored the cytotoxic effects of Rose Bengal in the absence of light. Their work presented at the Congress was based on Abstract No. FC-021, titled, "Rose Bengal - Phototoxicity Versus Intrinsic Cytotoxicity,” authored by Nascimento, P.; Baesler, K.; Knuever, J.; Douglas, G.; Anfosso, A.; Weninger, W.; Haass, N. The abstract can be viewed by navigating to page 8 using the following link:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ddg.12160/pdf
Associate Professor Nikolas Haass, Head of the Experimental Melanoma Therapy Group, The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, discussed the research findings during the Scientific Program’s “Free Communications” session on melanoma treatments. The Australian researchers demonstrated that in addition to its phototoxicity, Rose Bengal also exerts intrinsic cytotoxicity. In contrast to the phototoxicity, the intrinsic cytotoxicity has a wider therapeutic window. They concluded that the findings suggest that an interplay of cell necrosis and autophagy is one possible mechanism of action for RB.
Craig Dees, Ph.D., CEO of Provectus Pharmaceuticals said, “We are delighted that Rose Bengal was part of the important dialogue on melanoma treatments which took place during the 2013 World Congress of Melanoma. We very much appreciate our Australian colleagues’ efforts to elucidate Rose Bengal’s light-independent mechanism of action. Their valuable contributions to our understanding of the cytotoxic properties of Rose Bengal will accelerate our progress in defining PV-10’s potential use in the treatment and management of metastatic melanoma as well as other cancers.”
About The World Congress of Melanoma
The World Congress of Melanoma was first held 1985 in Venice, and every four years since then it has attracted the international melanoma community of basic researchers and clinicians. The last World Congress of Melanoma took place in 2009 in Vienna and 1,000 participants attended this meeting. The July 2013, the 8th World Congress of Melanoma was organized in conjunction with the World Meeting of Melanoma Centers, the Post-Chicago Melanoma Meeting 2013 and the 9th Congress of the European Association of Dermato-Oncology. The latter event, held at the end of the congress, included non-melanoma skin cancer and cutaneous lymphomas as topics of the meeting. For additional information on this event please visit http://www.worldmelanoma2013.com
About Provectus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Provectus Pharmaceuticals specializes in developing oncology and dermatology therapies. Its novel oncology drug PV-10 is designed to selectively target and destroy cancer cells without harming surrounding healthy tissue, significantly reducing potential for systemic side effects. Its oncology focus is on melanoma, breast cancer and cancers of the liver. The Company has received orphan drug designations from the FDA for its melanoma and hepatocellular carcinoma indications. Its dermatological drug PH-10 also targets abnormal or diseased cells, with the current focus on psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. Provectus has recently completed Phase 2 trials of PV-10 as a therapy for metastatic melanoma, and of PH-10 as a topical treatment for atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. Information about these and the Company's other clinical trials can be found at the NIH registry, www.clinicaltrials.gov. For additional information about Provectus please visit the Company's website at www.pvct.com or contact Porter, LeVay & Rose, Inc.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: The forward-looking statements contained herein are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect management's analysis only as of the date hereof. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date thereof.
