RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Viamet Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the company will present at the biennial meeting of the Mycoses Study Group Education and Research Consortium (MSGERC), September 20-23, 2016, at the Asilomar Conference Grounds, Pacific Grove, California, USA. The MSGERC is a non-profit organization comprised of leading infectious disease physicians, educators and researchers committed to supporting evidence-based medicine to benefit patients afflicted with or at risk of invasive fungal infections.
Oren Cohen, M.D., the company’s Chief Medical Officer, will provide an oral presentation at the meeting titled, “VT-1598, A Novel CYP51 Inhibitor for the Treatment of Coccidioidomycosis”. The presentation will take place Wednesday, September 21, at 7:00 p.m. PDT.
Dr. Cohen’s presentation will highlight the broad spectrum and high potency of VT-1598 against a range of pathogenic yeasts, molds and endemic fungi, including Candida, Aspergillus, Cryptococcus, and Coccidioides species. Data will also be presented demonstrating the robust activity of VT-1598 in a preclinical model of coccidioidomycosis, or Valley Fever, a serious and sometimes life-threatening invasive fungal infection for which currently available agents display poor efficacy and safety profiles. VT-1598 is currently in late-stage preclinical testing and is part of a portfolio of antifungal compounds under development by Viamet.
“VT-1598 is a novel, potent and highly selective oral inhibitor of fungal CYP51 that has demonstrated a very broad spectrum of activity against a wide range of fungal pathogens. It is an extremely versatile compound with great potential against invasive fungal infections, an area of great unmet medical need,” said Dr. Cohen. “Derived from Viamet’s proprietary metalloenzyme chemistry and biology platform, VT-1598 is part of a robust pipeline of antifungal agents that have been rationally designed to be both highly potent and highly selective relative to current antifungal therapies. We look forward to advancing VT-1598 into the clinic in 2017.”
About VT-1598
VT-1598 is an orally available inhibitor of fungal CYP51 that has demonstrated potent activity against a broad range of fungal pathogens, including both yeasts and molds. VT-1598 also has potent activity against a fungal class referred to as endemic fungi, which includes Coccidioides, Histoplasma and Blastomyces species. Viamet is developing VT-1598 for the treatment of Valley Fever, a systemic fungal infection concentrated in the southwestern United States and characterized by significant unmet medical need. In preclinical models of Valley Fever, VT-1598 was highly effective in treating disease localized to the central nervous system, which represents the most severe type of disseminated disease in humans. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP) and orphan drug designation to VT-1598 for the treatment of Valley Fever.
About Valley Fever
Valley Fever is heavily concentrated in the Southwestern United States, where the spores of the fungal pathogen Coccidioides live in the soil. Many of the estimated 150,000 cases of Valley Fever that occur annually are either self-limited or resolve with current therapies. However, approximately 5% to 10% of patients will develop a debilitating and sometimes fatal form of the disease at times associated with chronic lung infection and dissemination to other parts of the body. Patients with chronic forms of the illness experience symptoms that resemble those of the flu, and can range from mild to severe, including fever, cough, chest pain, chills, night sweats, headache, fatigue, joint aches and rash.
About Viamet (www.viamet.com)
Viamet discovers and develops breakthrough therapies based on our leadership in metalloenzyme chemistry and biology. Our clinical portfolio includes novel agents to treat both chronic and life threatening fungal infections. We also leverage our metalloenzyme expertise in other therapeutic areas including oncology and orphan diseases. Focusing on the needs of patients and clinicians, we design our drug candidates to achieve superior safety and efficacy profiles compared to currently marketed drugs.
This press release includes forward-looking statements. Actual results may vary materially from these statements. There are many important risks affecting Viamet’s business, including that clinical trials may not be commenced, or if commenced, may not be successful, regulatory approvals may not be obtained and approved products, if any, may not achieve commercial success. The Viamet group of companies includes Viamet Pharmaceuticals Holdings, LLC and its operating subsidiaries, Viamet Pharmaceuticals, Inc., VPS-2, Inc. and VPS-3, Inc. The Viamet group of companies is based in the Research Triangle Park region of North Carolina, USA.
