“THINK FUNGUS” - SCYNEXIS Recognizes Fungal Disease Awareness Week Sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
The first Fungal Disease Awareness Week is designed to increase awareness about fungal diseases, which can cause severe illness but frequently go undiagnosed
JERSEY CITY, N.J., Aug. 15, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SCYNEXIS, Inc. (NASDAQ:SCYX), a biotechnology company delivering innovative anti-infective therapies for difficult-to-treat and often life-threatening infections, commends the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for organizing the first Fungal Disease Awareness Week (August 14-18, 2017) to highlight the increasingly urgent global health epidemic and raise awareness among the public and healthcare providers about fungal diseases. Fungal Disease Awareness Week coincides with the CDC’s recent warning issued on the growing global threat of Candida auris, a typically multidrug-resistant fungal species spreading at an increasing rate and associated with significant mortality.
“The team at SCYNEXIS is encouraged by the CDC’s efforts to raise awareness of fungal infections and the urgent public health threat of increasing rates of resistance to current antifungal agents, resulting in longer hospitalizations, higher medical costs and in some cases increased rates of mortality,” commented Marco Taglietti, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of SCYNEXIS. “At SCYNEXIS, one of our core missions is to develop therapies for patients suffering from these infections. Data collected to date on our lead drug candidate, SCY-078, gives us confidence that it has the potential to achieve this mission and to address many of the resistance problems across multiple fungal strains.”
The theme of this year’s Fungal Disease Awareness Week is “Think Fungus,” which signifies the importance of encouraging the public and healthcare professionals to consider fungal infections during diagnoses. The CDC urges that we realize fungal diseases are an increasing global issue (http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6631a6). Particularly concerning are:
- Emergence of Candida auris, a multidrug-resistant pathogen that spreads in healthcare settings;
- Increased prevalence of fungal strains that are resistant to existing therapies, specifically for Candida and Aspergillus infections; and
- Increased incidence of Coccidioidomycosis.
To address the unmet need in the antifungal space and the CDC’s identified concerns, we are pleased to report that we have opened additional sites in the U.S. for our FURI study. The FURI study allows the inclusion of patients with Candida infections (including Candida auris) that are refractory to or intolerant of standard antifungal therapies. As previously reported, preclinical data for SCY-078 has consistently shown activity against resistant strains and SCY-078 may represent an alternative therapeutic option to these patients facing very limited or no treatment options. More information regarding this study at https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03059992?term=SCY-078&rank=2.
About Fungus Awareness Week
August 14–18, 2017, is the first Fungal Disease Awareness Week with the theme “Think Fungus.” CDC and partners have organized this week to highlight the importance of recognizing serious fungal diseases early enough in the course of a patient’s illness to provide life-saving treatment. Some fungal diseases go undiagnosed and cause serious infections in people in the United States and around the world, leading to illness and death. Increased awareness about fungal diseases is one of the most important ways we can improve early recognition and reduce delays in diagnosis and treatment. A key clue to when a sick person may have a fungal infection is that he or she is being treated with medications for other types of infection but does not get better. Information about Fungal Disease Awareness Week is available at https://www.cdc.gov/fungal/awareness-week.html #THINKFUNGUS
About SCY-078
SCY-078 is an antifungal agent in clinical development for the treatment of fungal infections caused by Candida and Aspergillus species. SCY-078 is a triterpenoid, semi-synthetic derivative of the natural product enfumafungin—a structurally distinct and novel class of glucan synthase inhibitor. SCY-078 combines the well-established activity of glucan synthase inhibitors with the potential flexibility of having IV and oral formulations. By belonging to a chemical class distinct from other antifungals, SCY-078 has shown in vitro and in vivo activity against multi-drug resistant pathogens, including azole- and echinocandin-resistant strains. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted Fast Track, Qualified Infectious Disease Product and Orphan Drug Designations for the formulations of SCY-078 for the indications of invasive candidiasis (including candidemia) and invasive aspergillosis.
About SCYNEXIS
SCYNEXIS, Inc. is a biotechnology company committed to positively impacting the lives of patients suffering from difficult-to-treat and often life-threatening infections by delivering innovative anti-infective therapies. The SCYNEXIS team has extensive experience in the life sciences industry, discovering and developing more than 30 innovative medicines over a broad range of therapeutic areas. The Company's lead product candidate, SCY-078, is the first representative of a novel intravenous and oral triterpenoid antifungal family and is in Phase 2 clinical development for the treatment of several fungal infections, including serious and life-threatening invasive fungal infections. For more information, visit www.scynexis.com.
Forward-Looking Statement
Statements contained in this press release maybe, "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These and other risks are described more fully in SCYNEXIS' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including without limitation, its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K under the caption "Risk Factors" and other documents subsequently filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made. SCYNEXIS undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.
CONTACT: Media Relations Cammy Duong MacDougall Biomedical Communications Tel: 781-591-3443 cduong@macbiocom.com Investor Relations Susan Kim Argot Partners Tel: 212-203-4433 susan@argotpartners.com
Released August 15, 2017