Nemucore Study Published in Molecular Pharmaceutics Furthers Understanding of NMI-350 and Theranostics for Ovarian Cancer

WORCESTER, Mass., May 23, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nemucore Medical Innovations, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of therapies targeting highly lethal women's cancers with a special emphasis on ovarian cancer, today announced the publication of a promising study, entitled "Design, Synthesis and Characterization of Folate-Targeted Platinum Loaded Theranostic Nanoemulsions for Therapy and Imaging of Ovarian Cancer," in the journal Molecular Pharmaceutics. The publication details data related to Nemucore's NMI-350 family of investigational targeted theranostics for the treatment of ovarian cancer. Theranostics hold the promise of improving clinical outcomes as these treatment modalities are based on the combination of diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities combined in a single agent.  

The NMI-350 family targets the folate receptor, which occurs on 80% of ovarian cancer. Folate receptor targeting enables the family's unique ability to both target and track drug accumulation in tumors. This new family of anticancer theranostics was developed based on Nemucore's less toxic platinum therapies. Each member of the NMI-350 family is itself an effective MRI contrast agent, allowing noninvasive MRI to be used to track drug delivery in patients.

Although platinum-based chemotherapy is the standard of care for ovarian cancer and one of the most widely used cancer therapies, its dose-limiting toxicities, cumulative dosing side effects, and the development of platinum resistance limit its effectiveness. Nemucore's NMI-350 family demonstrated the ability to overcome these challenges showing improved circulation time and efficacy compared to cisplatin, in addition to reduced off-target toxicity in preclinical studies.

"These data provide compelling evidence that Nemucore's molecularly targeted platinum theranostics can improve the care of patients with multidrug-resistant cancers," said Nemucore's Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President Timothy P. Coleman, Ph.D.  "Physicians today have limited tools to determine if an ovarian cancer patient is resistant to platinum therapy; NMI-350 has the potential to solve this clinical inefficiency. NMI-350 enables physicians to track platinum accumulation in a patient's tumor 24 to 36 hours after administration using MRI. This disruptive change in clinical workflow represents a novel way to ensure a patient is effectively treated. We believe NMI-350 has unique characteristics to overcome the barriers associated with ineffective platinum therapy for advanced ovarian cancer patients."

About Nemucore Medical Innovations, Inc.
Nemucore Medical Innovations, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of therapies targeting multi-drug resistant cancers with a special emphasis on highly lethal women's cancers. Nemucore's most advanced candidate NMI-900, a potential therapeutic for the treatment of ovarian cancer, is expected to begin a Phase 2 clinical trial in mid-2016. Two additional candidates are anticipated to enter clinical trial development targeting a variety of difficult-to-treat oncology indications. For more information, please visit our website at www.Nemucore.com.