Aeterna Zentaris: Poster Presentation at AACR Meeting Provides Rationale for New Therapeutic Opportunities in Oncology with Erk Inhibitors

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[{"type":"text","content":"\n\n\nQUÉBEC CITY, April 9, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - Aeterna Zentaris Inc. (NASDAQ:\n AEZS) (TSX: AEZ) (the \"Company\") today announced that a poster on\n AEZS-134, a highly potent and selective ATP competitive Erk inhibitor,\n provides rationale for new therapeutic opportunities in oncology with\n this compound. The poster, titled, \"Erk Inhibition as a Therapeutic Option for the Treatment of Raf- and\n Mek- Inhibitor Resistant Tumors\", I. Seipelt, P. Schmidt, H. Märzhäuser, M. Gerlach, K. Jung, T.\n Schuster and M. Teifel, was presented yesterday by Irene Seipelt, Ph.\n D., Director, Preclinical Development at Aeterna Zentaris, during a\n poster session at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual\n Meeting in San Diego, California.\n\n\nRichard Sachse, MD, Aeterna Zentaris' CSO/CMO, commented, \"Our abstract\n on AEZS-134 drew a high level of attention at AACR, as participants of\n a session on the most exciting recent developments in RAS/RAF/EGFR\n research, placed it among 11 high-impact abstracts out of the hundreds\n on this topic. The preclinical data presented yesterday, suggests that\n Erk inhibitors such as AEZS-134 may provide a treatment option for\n patients suffering from tumors which are resistant to currently\n established therapies such as B-Raf and Mek inhibitors. Following these\n encouraging preclinical data, we are currently evaluating further\n development of this compound class.\"\n\n\nIntroduction\n\n\nThe MAPK pathway represents a prime target for therapeutic intervention\n in cancer. Recent approvals demonstrate significant antitumor\n activities and survival benefits for B-Raf and Mek inhibitors. However\n the observation of resistance to such Raf and Mek inhibitors has been\n documented in both clinical and preclinical trials. These phenomena led\n to the suggestion to target the downstream kinase Erk to overcome such\n resistance.\n\n\nResults and Conclusions\n\n\nData demonstrate that Erk inhibitors result in efficient growth\n inhibition of tumor cells that are resistant to Raf and Mek inhibitors.\n AEZS-134, a highly potent and selective ATP competitive Erk inhibitor,\n overcomes the Raf inhibitor-induced paradoxical cell activation and the\n acquired resistance to Mek inhibitors in various tumor cell lines.\n\n\nThe data provide a rationale for new therapeutic opportun...

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