SCYNEXIS Announces Presentations of Data From Anti-Fungal Drug Candidate at the 50th ICAAC Meeting

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RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 09/14/10 -- Drug discovery company, SCYNEXIS, Inc. today announced that one oral presentation and five posters related to its collaboration with Merck & Co. to develop novel antifungal agents are being presented at the 50th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC), taking place through Wednesday in Boston.

SCYNEXIS and Merck initiated the antifungal agent discovery and development program in 2002 to develop treatments for invasive fungal infections such as Candida and Aspergillus spp. The lead candidate MK-3118 is a semi-synthetic derivative of the natural product enfumafungin -- a structurally distinct class of glucan synthase inhibitors. MK-3118 would be the first oral glucan synthase inhibitor. SCYNEXIS has contributed important chemical and bioanalytical expertise in support of the program, while Merck is responsible for drug development following pre-clinical candidate selection.

"SCYNEXIS has a longstanding, productive relationship with Merck across multiple therapeutic indications," said Dr. Yves J. Ribeill, president & chief executive officer of SCYNEXIS. "We are pleased to see our efforts result in the progress of the anti-fungal program and specifically, MK-3118, progressing in Phase I clinical trials. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Merck in the future."

Oral Presentation

Slide Session 223. New Agents in Early Clinical Development: F1-1975 "A Phase I Single Rising Dose Study Evaluating the Safety, Tolerability and Pharmacokinetics of an Oral Glucan Synthase Inhibitor in Healthy Male Volunteers," Sept. 13, 10:30 - 10:45 a.m.

Poster Presentations

Poster Session 93. New Antifungal Agents: F1-845 "Enfumafungin Derivatives: Orally Active Glucan Synthase Inhibitors," Sept. 13, 11:15 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.

Poster Session 93. New Antifungal Agents: F1-846 "Enfumafungin Derivatives: Orally Active Glucan Synthase Inhibitors," Sept. 13, 11:15 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.

Poster Session 93. New Antifungal Agents: F1-847 "MK-3118, An Oral Enfumafungin with Potent in Vitro Activity Against Candida and Aspergillus spp.," Sept. 13, 11:15 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.

Poster Session 93. New Antifungal Agents: F1-848 "Evaluation of Orally Active Enfumafungin Derivative MK-3118 in Mouse Models of Disseminated Candidiasis," Sept. 13, 11:15 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.

Poster Session 93. New Antifungal Agents: F1-849 "Evaluation of Enfumafungin Derivative MK-3118 in Two Mouse Models of Disseminated Aspergillosis," Sept. 13 11:15 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.

Full abstracts can be viewed at the ICAAC website at http://www.icaac.org/.

About SCYNEXIS

SCYNEXIS is a premier drug discovery and development company delivering effective and innovative drug pipeline solutions to pharmaceutical and global health partners. Our record of success is demonstrated by the delivery of 11 pre-clinical and clinical drug candidates over the last 5 years. The Company, which is located in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, is developing a proprietary internal pipeline based on cyclophilin inhibitors, a class of drugs that hold significant potential for the treatment of a broad range of diseases. Please visit our website at www.scynexis.com. 

<b>Media Contact:
</b>Rick Rountree
Rick Rountree Communications
Email Contact
1-919-878-1144

<b>Company Contact:
</b>Terry Marquardt
SCYNEXIS, Inc.
919-544-8603

Released September 14, 2010