Company Presents Peptide-Paclitaxel Conjugate Poster at ADC Conference in San Francisco

San Francisco, CA, October 15, 2013 - Soricimed Biopharma Inc., a private clinical stage company developing novel cancer therapeutics and diagnostics, today announced that Soricimed’s Chief Scientific Officer, Prof Jack Stewart, presented results at the World ADC (Antibody Drug Conjugates) conference, demonstrating proof-of-concept that Soricimed’s SOR peptides provide a targeting mechanism by which drugs (including Paclitaxel) conjugated to the peptides can be delivered only to TRPV6-rich cancer cells and more effectively reduce cell viability in breast and ovarian cancer than Paclitaxel alone.

Many epithelial cancer types over-express TRPV6, a non-voltage gated calcium channel. Soricimed developed SOR peptides from Soricidin, a 54-amino acid peptide, found in the paralytic venom of the northern short-tailed shrew. These peptides, represented by SOR-C27, can deliver oncolytic drugs to TRPV6-rich tumors, such as those found in ovarian, breast, thyroid, prostate and colon cancer, as well as certain leukemia’s and lymphomas.

Soricimed conducted successful early in vitro experiments wherein cell cultures of TRPV6-rich breast and ovarian cancers were exposed to equimolar concentrations of Paclitaxel or SOR-C27 alone, physical mixtures of both and the Peptide Drug Conjugate (PDC). The PDC was more effective at reducing cell viability in breast and ovarian cancer cell cultures by about two-fold over equimolar Paclitaxel alone.

“We have shown the basis of a real platform technology with this study,” commented Prof Jack Stewart. “As calcium ion influx channels, termed TRPV channels, have emerged as potential cancer targets, not only can Soricimed’s SOR peptides inhibit the TRPV6 channel activity directly by triggering cancer cell-death programs, as is being studied in the Phase I clinical trial underway in Canada and the United States, but they can also carry a drug or multiple drugs to the tumor site, thereby decreasing the dose of chemotoxic reagent required and increasing the efficacy and possibly reducing toxicities.”

Soricimed has initiated the next steps in the development trajectory by moving to animal models where human tumours are grafted into mice and treated with PDCs from Soricimed’s new platform. A successful endpoint would be more effective and efficient treatment with a PDC than drug alone further supporting the contention that the PDC platform is an effective new strategy to combat some cancers.

About Soricimed Biopharma

Soricimed Biopharma Inc., a private Canadian clinical stage company developing novel cancer therapeutics and diagnostics, was created in 2005 by Professor Jack Stewart and Paul Gunn following the discovery and development of a proprietary peptide, soricidin. Soricidin derivatives are the basis for Soricimed Biopharma Inc.’s targeted cancer management program focused on cancer therapeutics and diagnostics. Using focused innovative strategies in collaboration with major world-class cancer research institutions, Soricimed’s drugs have demonstrated a capability to reduce cancer cell viability, induce apoptosis and to reduce human tumour volume while minimizing side-effects in various classic animal and in vitro tumour models. Privately held, Soricimed is funded through private investors and various programs from the Government of Canada. For more information please visit, www.soricimed.com.

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