Biothera Pharmaceuticals to Discuss Imprime PGG Co

EAGAN, Minn., Feb. 15, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Biothera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that it will deliver two presentations on its Phase 2 candidate Imprime PGG at the 24th annual Molecular Medicine Tri-Conference, taking place at the Moscone North Convention Center, San Francisco, February 19-24, 2017.

Jeremy R. Graff, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer and Senior Vice President, Research at Biothera Pharmaceuticals, will present data showing that Imprime PGG acts therapeutically as an immunological “ignition switch” to coordinate robust innate and adaptive immune responses that enhance the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors. The Company has announced plans for Phase 2 clinical studies to evaluate Imprime PGG in combination with Merck’s KEYTRUDA ^® (pembrolizumab) in advanced melanoma, triple negative breast cancer, head and neck cancer, and non-small cell lung cancer.

Biothera Pharmaceuticals’ Tri-Con presentation details are as follows:

• Imprime PGG – A Yeast-Derived Pathogen-Associated Molecular Pattern (PAMP) Triggers the Anti-Cancer Immunity Cycle to Potentiate the Efficacy of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors . Oral presentation to be delivered during the Cancer Immunotherapy session, Emerging Approaches for Checkpoint Inhibitor Combination Immunotherapy, at 11:45am Pacific Time, Wednesday, February 22.  
• The Novel Phase 2 Immunotherapeutic, Imprime PGG, Repolarizes the Tumor Immune Microenvironment and Activates Antigen Presentation to Drive an Integrated Anti-Cancer Immune Response with Checkpoint Inhibitors. Oral presentation to be delivered during the Biomarkers for Cancer Immunotherapy session, Clinical Case Studies, at 3:00pm Pacific Time, Thursday, February 23.

About Biothera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Biothera Pharmaceuticals is a privately held biotechnology company developing Imprime PGG, a mid-clinical stage cancer immunotherapy that enhances the efficacy of anti-cancer immune response in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitor, tumor-targeting and anti-angiogenesis antibodies.  Biothera Pharmaceuticals has clinical research agreements with Merck to evaluate Imprime PGG and KEYTRUDA in Phase 2 studies in advanced melanoma, metastatic triple negative breast cancer , and head and neck squamous cell cancer . This therapeutic combination also is the focus of a Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium Phase 1b/2 trial in patients with non-small cell lung cancer . Imprime PGG has been well-tolerated and has established proof of concept in trials with more than 400 subjects.

KEYTRUDA ^® is a registered trademark of Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc.

Contact: David Walsh SVP Communications Biothera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 651-256-4606 dwalsh@biothera.com