Salarius Pharmaceuticals and Nationwide Children’s Hospital Announce Poster Presentation at the 2021 AACR-NCI-EORTC Virtual International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics

HOUSTON, Sept. 30, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (Nasdaq: SLRX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing potential new medicines for patients with pediatric cancers, solid tumors, and other cancers, and Nationwide Children’s Hospital disclosed today that an abstract has been accepted by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) for poster presentation at the 2021 AACR-NCI-EORTC Virtual International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics. The abstract highlights research into the ability of Salarius’ lead drug candidate, seclidemstat (SP-2577), to target FET-rearranged sarcomas through the inhibition of the non-enzymatic function (i.e., scaffolding function) of the LSD1 enzyme. The conference will take place virtually October 7–10, 2021.

The title and authors of the abstract from Salarius and Nationwide Children’s Hospital are as follows:

Abstract Title: Targeting LSD1 protein scaffolding function in FET-rearranged sarcomas with SP-2577

Abstract Authors: Galen Rask, Research Assistant, Nationwide Children’s Hospital; Emily Theisen, Ph.D., principal investigator, The Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases at the Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children’s Hospital; Aundrietta Duncan, Ph.D., Director of Non-Clinical Development, Salarius Pharmaceuticals; Daniela Santiesteban, Ph.D., Director of Corporate Development, Salarius Pharmaceuticals

“Inhibition of LSD1 is a growing field of cancer drug development research, and we are pleased that research underscoring our decision to expand seclidemstat’s clinical program into FET-sarcomas will be the subject of a poster presentation at the 2021 AACR-NCI-EORTC,” stated David Arthur, CEO of Salarius Pharmaceuticals. “We believe seclidemstat targets both the enzymatic activity and non-enzymatic activities of LSD1 providing a differentiated mechanism of action that more robustly inhibits LSD1’s cancer promoting properties and could provide differentiated therapeutic activity in several cancer types.” 

Dr. Theisen stated, “We are excited to be participating in research into seclidemstat’s activity in FET-rearranged sarcomas. Malignancies driven by gene expression resulting from the dysregulation in the epigenome are therapeutically targetable, and the inhibition of LSD1 is a promising area of research. We look forward to future advances that bring new therapies to patients and their families.”

Salarius is conducting a Phase 1/2 clinical trial evaluating patients with myxoid liposarcoma and other FET-rearranged sarcomas treated with single-agent seclidemstat. The same trial is also evaluating seclidemstat in combination with the chemotherapy agents topotecan and cyclophosphamide as a potential second- and third-line therapy for Ewing sarcoma. More recently, Salarius expanded into hematologic cancers with the MD Anderson Cancer Center activating an investigator-initiated Phase 1/2 clinical trial assessing seclidemstat in combination with azacitidine.

The titles of all abstracts accepted for presentation at the conference are currently available on the AACR web site at . The full abstracts, including the dates and times of presentations, are scheduled for publication at 9 a.m. ET on October 7, 2021.

About Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Named to the Top 10 Honor Roll on U.S. News & World Report’s 2021-22 list of “Best Children’s Hospitals,” Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of America’s largest not-for-profit freestanding pediatric health care systems providing wellness, preventive, diagnostic, treatment and rehabilitative care for infants, children and adolescents, as well as adult patients with congenital disease. Nationwide Children’s has a staff of more than 13,000 providing state-of-the-art pediatric care during more than 1.6 million patient visits annually. As home to the Department of Pediatrics of The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Nationwide Children’s physicians train the next generation of pediatricians and pediatric specialists. The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of the Top 10 National Institutes of Health-funded freestanding pediatric research facilities. More information is available at NationwideChildrens.org.

About Salarius Pharmaceuticals

Salarius Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing cancer therapies for patients in need of new treatment options. Salarius’ lead candidate, seclidemstat, is being studied as a potential treatment for pediatric cancers, sarcomas and other cancers with limited treatment options. Seclidemstat is currently in a Phase 1/2 clinical trial for relapsed/refractory Ewing sarcoma and select additional sarcomas that share a similar biology to Ewing sarcoma, also referred to as Ewing-related or FET-rearranged sarcomas. Seclidemstat has received Fast Track Designation, Orphan Drug Designation and Rare Pediatric Disease Designation for Ewing sarcoma from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Salarius is also developing seclidemstat for several cancers with high unmet medical need, with a second Phase 1/2 clinical study in hematologic cancers. Salarius has received financial support from the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation to advance the Ewing sarcoma clinical program and was also a recipient of a Product Development Award from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). For more information, please visit or follow Salarius on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements 

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements may be identified by terms such as “potential,” “progress,” “design,” “estimate,” “continue,” “will,” “aim,” “can,” “believe,” “plan,” “allow,” “expect,” “intend,” “goal,” “provide,” “able to,” “position,” “project,” “developing,” “look forward,” and similar terms or expressions or the negative thereof. Examples of such statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the following: Salarius’ growth strategy; the value of seclidemstat as a potential treatment for Ewing sarcoma, FET-rearranged sarcomas, and other cancers; the ability of seclidemstat to target and inhibit LSD1; seclidemstat’s differential therapeutic activity in several cancer types, including solid tumors; Salarius developing seclidemstat for several cancers with high unmet medical need; bringing new therapies to market; and Salarius’ plans to initiate additional clinical trials. Salarius may not actually achieve the plans, carry out the intentions or meet the expectations or objectives disclosed in the forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results and performance to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following: the sufficiency of Salarius’ capital resources; the ability of, and need for, Salarius to raise additional capital to meet Salarius’ business operational needs and to achieve its business objectives and strategy; Salarius’ ability to project future capital needs and cash utilization and timing and accuracy thereof; the ability of Salarius to access the remaining funding available under the CPRIT grant; future clinical trial results and impact of results on Salarius; that the results of studies and clinical trials may not be predictive of future clinical trial results; the sufficiency of Salarius’ intellectual property protection; risks related to the drug development and the regulatory approval process; the competitive landscape and other industry-related risks; market conditions and regulatory or contractual restrictions which may impact the ability of Salarius to raise additional capital; the possibility of unexpected expenses or other uses of Salarius’ cash resources; risks related to the COVID-19 outbreak; and other risks described in Salarius’ filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those discussed in Salarius’ quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2021 and in Salarius’ annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release and are based on management’s assumptions and estimates as of such date. Salarius disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.

Contact:

Tiberend Strategic Advisors, Inc.

Maureen McEnroe, CFA (investors)

(212) 375-2664

Johanna Bennett (media)

(212) 375-2686