Edmonton, Alberta, Canada February 3, 2025. Pacylex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Pacylex) is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company and world leader in developing N-myristoyltransferase inhibitors (NMTis) as targeted therapies for cancer. Oral zelenirstat is in development for the treatment of hematologic cancers and several Pacylex NMTis are being evaluated as payloads for antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) for treatment of solid tumor cancers. Today, Pacylex announced that CEO Michael Weickert and Board member Michael Kamdar will present progress in clinical development of oral zelenirstat, the first in class NMTi for heme cancers, and zelenirstat and other NMTis as ADC payloads, at several key industry conferences in February.
Mr. Kamdar will present Pacylex at the PMWC (Precision Medicine World Conference) 2025 Silicon Valley February 5-7 at the Santa Clara Convention Center, Santa Clara, California. Mr. Kamdar will speak from 4:00-4:15 on February 6, on Showcase Track S1. The Precision Medicine World Conference (PWMC) is the largest and first annual conference dedicated to precision medicine. PMWC’s mission is to bring together recognized leaders, global researchers, medical professionals, and innovators in healthcare and biotechnology to catalyze collaborations and accelerate the development of precision medicine.
Dr. Weickert will present Pacylex at the OBIO® Investment Summit and Early Technology Showcase, February 5-7 at the Arcadian Court & Loft, Toronto. Dr. Weickert will present Pacylex at 11:10am ET, in the Biotech Track. The OBIO® Investment Summit and Early Technology Showcase bring together high potential Canadian life sciences and health tech companies, investors, and ecosystem partners. The Summit also features the Pharma and MedTech Business Development Forum, which connects Canadian venture companies with corporate venture professionals to explore partnerships and licensing opportunities.
Dr. Weickert will also meet with potential investors and partners at the BIO CEO and Investors conference in New York, February 10-11, 2025, at the New York Marriott Marquis, New York. The BIO CEO & Investor Conference is one of the largest investor conferences and provides a forum where institutional investors, industry analysts, and senior biotechnology executives can shape the future investment landscape of the biotechnology industry, financing promising discoveries to results in better patient outcomes.
“We are eager to expand the awareness of our extensive NMTi portfolio as ADC payloads which we plan to develop with the participation of partners and investors” said Dr. Michael Weickert, CEO of Pacylex. “In parallel, we are starting a new study of oral zelenirstat in AML for which we already have Orphan and Fast Track Designations.”
For more information:
Pacylex Pharmaceuticals Contact: Michael J. Weickert
CEO, Pacylex Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
P: 650-218-1840
X @Pacylex (https://x.com/pacylex)
About zelenirstat (aka PCLX-001 or DDD86481)
Zelenirstat (formerly identified as PCLX-001 or DDD86481) is a first-in-class, oral, small-molecule NMTi being developed to treat patients with leukemia, lymphoma, and for the treatment of solid tumors when used as a payload for ADCs. Zelenirstat selectively kills cancer cells in vitro and has been shown to regress hematologic malignancies and inhibit the growth of lung and breast cancer tumors in animal models.
Pacylex completed and published a
Phase 1 multiple ascending dose safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics study on zelenirstat in patients with relapsed/refractory lymphoma and refractory solid tumors (
NCT04836195). Zelenirstat demonstrated an acceptable safety and tolerability profile, pharmacokinetics consistent with once-daily oral dosing, and early signs of efficacy. A clinical study in relapsed/refractory AML patients is now underway (ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT06613217).
About NMTis as ADC payloads
The effect of NMTis on cancer cells is pleiotropic. Across multiple cancer types, NMTis interfere with pathways essential to proliferation and survival including: Receptor tyrosine kinases (e.g. EGFR and VEGFR)/SFK pathways, Wnt pathway, PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, Notch signaling, TLR4 inflammatory responses, B-cell and T-cell receptor signaling pathway, Flt3/c-Kit signaling, ferroptosis, ER-Golgi trafficking via ADP-ribosylation factors (Arfs), AMPK signaling, autophagy and mitochondrial respiratory complex 1 assembly and function. NMTis induce ER stress and apoptosis in cancer cells. The preferential toxicity of NMTis towards cancer cells makes them an exciting new class of ADC payload. In animal models, NMTi-ADCs have regressed solid cancer tumors.
Pacylex has exclusive rights to 503 small molecule NMTis, including 28 high potency compounds (IC50 <10nM) against human NMT1. Zelenirstat has advantages as an NMTi-ADC payload: 1) clinical validation of safety, 2) clinical validation of anti-cancer activity, 3) multiple mechanisms of anti-cancer activity that disrupt novel cancer signaling and survival pathways as well as metabolism, 4) activity in models of drug-resistant cancer, 5) limited acquired resistance despite long-term drug exposure. The investigation of the potential of zelenirstat and its analogs as ADC payloads is underway.
About Pacylex Pharmaceuticals
Pacylex is the world leader in developing N-myristoyltransferase inhibitors (NMTis) as targeted therapies for the treatment of hematologic cancers and as payloads for antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) for solid tumors. Pacylex is conducting clinical studies of its lead drug, oral Zelenirstat, the first and only clinically validated NMTi. The FDA has granted zelenirstat both Orphan Drug Designation and Fast Track Designation for AML. The US Department of Defense is supporting the initial clinical investigation of zelenirstat in AML patients. Pacylex is headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, but also has an office in the San Francisco Bay area. The Cure Cancer Foundation, Alberta Cancer Foundation, and Alberta Innovates supported the initial clinical studies. For additional information, please visit
www.pacylex.com.
