Protalex Lead Compound, PRTX-100, Inhibits Platelet Phagocytosis In Vitro

Data Presented at American Society of Hematology Conference

NEW HOPE, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Protalex, Inc. (OTCBB: PRTX) announced today that it has unveiled pre-clinical data showing that PRTX-100, the company’s lead compound in development for various autoimmune disorders, inhibits the phagocytosis (ingestion) of platelets in vitro. The data from the study entitled, PRTX-100 Inhibits Platelet Phagocytosis In Vitro, were presented Saturday, December 9, 2006, by Chris Yatko, Research Scientist at Protalex, at the American Society of Hematology’s 48th Annual Meeting and Exposition in Orlando, Florida. Platelet phagocytosis is the effector limb of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a rare blood-clotting disorder. As such, the results of the study indicate the potential of PRTX-100 for the treatment of patients with ITP.
“Prevention of platelet phagocytosis is an important step in the treatment of ITP. This study confirms our belief that PRTX-100 may be a promising therapy for this indication and we look forward to continued development of this compound,” said Steven H. Kane, President and Chief Executive Officer of Protalex.
About Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP)
ITP is an autoimmune disease in which platelets are misidentified as foreign objects by the immune system and are subsequently targeted for elimination. Normal proteins found on the surface of the platelets act as antigens in ITP-affected patients, thus signaling the body’s white blood cells to remove the platelets from the bloodstream. As a result, patients with ITP have an abnormally low platelet count, ranging from zero (most severe) to about 100,000 per cu/ml of blood (milder case). A healthy person usually has a platelet count of between 150,000 and 400,000 per cu/ml of blood. A count of 30,000 is generally considered safe (i.e., protecting against spontaneous bleeding). Patients with ITP therefore often bruise easily, suffer from bleeding gums as well as nosebleeds, gingival, gastrointestinal, and/or central nervous system bleeding.
Two types of ITP exist: (1) Acute ITP, usually lasting less than six months and mainly occurring in children, typically caused by a viral infection (often not requiring treatment and not recurring), and; (2) Chronic ITP, which is longer-term and chiefly affects adults, specifically women over 40 years of age.
According to the Platelet Disorder Support Association, ITP currently affects approximately 200,000 people in the U.S., with women suffering from the disorder at a rate about 3 times greater than men. About 50% of new cases occur in children and roughly 30,000 new cases occur annually. At present, there is no known cure and only a limited number of treatments are available, including chemotherapy, various biologics, hormones, small molecule immunosuppressants or splenectomy. Corticosteroids are currently the standard first-line therapy, however, these are associated with significant short- and long-term side effects, including swelling of the face, neck, and/or shoulders, fluid retention, heartburn, osteoporosis, premature atherosclerosis, cataracts, glucose intolerance, thinning of the skin and increased risk of infections, among others.
About PRTX-100
PRTX-100 is a highly-purified form of Staphylococcal Protein A. PRTX-100 binds directly to monocytes and a subset of B-cells that are involved in the development and progression of various autoimmune diseases, enabling the compound to modulate the function of these cells and restore the balance of the immune system.