Birmingham, Ala. – Southern Research Institute today announced the appointment of M. Allison Taylor as vice president and general counsel. Ms. Taylor has more than 15 years of experience in legal and business affairs in diverse industries including the manufacturing, services and technology sectors. Ms. Taylor will be based in the Institute’s Birmingham headquarters where she will manage the contract administration and intellectual property groups and report directly to Arthur J. Tipton, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Southern Research Institute.

Dr. Tipton commented, “Allison’s tremendous legal and business experience will make her an invaluable member of our executive team as we continue to advance our programs during this important time for the Institute. I am also thrilled with her role as an additional bridge to our key collaborator — the University of Alabama at Birmingham and to the University System.”

Prior to joining Southern Research Institute, Ms. Taylor was a shareholder at Maynard Cooper & Gale, PC. Ms. Taylor earned her J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law and her LL.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law. Ms. Taylor also completed her undergraduate studies the University of Alabama where she earned a B.S. in Commerce and Business Administration, majoring in accounting. Ms. Taylor has been recognized for her legal expertise by a number of organizations including The Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers and Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers.

About Southern Research Institute

Southern Research Institute is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) scientific research organization founded in 1941 that conducts preclinical drug discovery and development, advanced engineering research in materials, systems development, and environment and energy research. Approximately 500 scientific and engineering team members support clients and partners in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, defense, aerospace, environmental and energy industries. Southern Research is headquartered in Birmingham, AL, with additional laboratories and offices in Wilsonville and Huntsville, AL, Frederick, MD, Durham, NC, Houston, TX, and Cartersville, GA. For more information visit: http://southernresearch.org.

High-throughput Screening Capability Under BSL-4 Containment Will Change the Paradigm for Identification of Therapeutic Candidates Against Pathogens Including Ebola, Marburg Nipah and Lassa Viruses

Birmingham, Ala. – Researchers from Southern Research Institute and their colleagues at Galveston National Laboratory announced today that they have jointly developed a semi-automated high-throughput screening (HTS) platform that is capable of testing 10,000 compounds per day within biosafety level 4 (BSL-4) biocontainment conditions.

The research, from the laboratory of James W. Noah, Ph.D., in conjunction with Lynn Rasmussen, M.S., both of Southern Research Institute, and colleagues including Bersabeh Tigabu, DVM, Ph.D. of the Galveston National Laboratory (GNL) at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas, was published in a paper titled, “A BSL-4 High-Throughput Screen Identifies Sulfonamide Inhibitors of Nipah Virus.” The paper appears in the April 2014 edition of the journal ASSAY and Drug Development Technologies (ADDT).

Nipah Virus is a biosafety level 4 pathogen that causes severe respiratory illness and encephalitis in humans. Outbreaks have occurred frequently over the past decade in Bangladesh and India with fatality rates over 65%. Given the lack of effective therapeutics and vaccines, the virus is considered a significant public health concern as well as a serious bioterrorism threat, and is listed as a category C priority pathogen by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

“We are pleased to have our work, and that of our colleagues at GNL recognized by ADDT. To our knowledge, this is the first instance in which an HTS platform was implemented in a BSL-4 environment,” said Dr. Noah. “Building on our earlier experience, we believe this platform may contribute to the successful identification of compounds with antiviral activity as the first step in the development of therapeutics against these highly pathogenic agents.”

About Southern Research Institute

Southern Research Institute is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) scientific research organization founded in 1941 that conducts preclinical drug discovery and development, advanced engineering research in materials, systems development, and environment and energy research. Approximately 500 scientific and engineering team members support clients and partners in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, defense, aerospace, environmental and energy industries. Southern Research is headquartered in Birmingham, AL, with additional laboratories and offices in Wilsonville and Huntsville, AL, Frederick, MD, Durham, NC, Houston, TX, and Cartersville, GA. For more information visit: southernresearch.org.

SHERBROOKE, Quebec and BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Cyclenium Pharma Inc., an emerging pharmaceutical company specializing in the research and development of novel drug candidates based on proprietary macrocyclic chemistry, today announced the signing of a discovery and co-development agreement with Southern Research Institute, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) scientific research organization founded in 1941. The collaboration will utilize Cyclenium’s proprietary libraries of next generation macrocyclic molecules and associated hit-to-lead optimization expertise in combination with Southern Research’s extensive capabilities in target screening, compound profiling and preclinical development. The goal is to discover and jointly develop new clinical candidates for the treatment of cancer, infectious diseases and neurological conditions.

“We are very pleased to have initiated this collaboration with a prestigious organization like Southern Research,” stated Helmut Thomas, Ph.D., President & CEO of Cyclenium. “Their breadth of expertise and long history of successful contributions to drug discovery and development will provide strong synergy for our proprietary macrocyclic technology with the expectation of multiple novel candidates resulting from our joint efforts over the next few years.”

“Cyclenium’s proprietary macrocyclic libraries are well suited for use against many of the challenging targets we are currently working on,” stated Mark J. Suto, Ph.D. Vice-President Drug Discovery Division Southern Research Institute. “For example, screening of currently available small molecule libraries has not been very successful in the identification of new antibiotics and in targets associated with disrupting protein-protein interactions. The Cyclenium macrocycle libraries are unique in that they combine the complexities found in natural products with the drug-like properties needed for successful drug discovery. We are looking forward to collaborating with Cyclenium in the identification of new therapeutics.”

About Cyclenium Pharma

Cyclenium Pharma is an emerging pharmaceutical research and development company pursuing development of selected product opportunities in areas of unsatisfied medical need, while simultaneously creating a second generation macrocyclic drug discovery technology. Cyclenium is building value through progression of internal programs and establishing collaborations with innovative pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies seeking to modulate difficult disease targets. For more on Cyclenium Pharma, please see: www.cyclenium.com.

About Southern Research Institute

Southern Research Institute is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) scientific research organization founded in 1941 that conducts preclinical drug discovery and development, advanced engineering research in materials, systems development, and environment and energy research. Approximately 500 scientific and engineering team members support clients and partners in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, defense, aerospace, environmental and energy industries. From discovery to clinical trials, Southern Research contributes to the search for new and better drugs and vaccines through a comprehensive continuum of capabilities. As a contract research organization, Southern Research provides preclinical drug development and clinical trial support services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies on an outsourced basis. Southern Research is headquartered in Birmingham, AL, with additional laboratories and offices in Wilsonville and Huntsville, AL, Frederick, MD, Durham, NC, Houston, TX, and Cartersville, GA. For more information visit: southernresearch.org.

Birmingham, Ala. – Southern Research Institute’s Engineering Division is part of a Torch Technologies proposed team that was recently awarded a contract with a potential value of $71 million to support Redstone Arsenal’s Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center’s (AMRDEC) System Simulation and Development Directorate (SSDD). The award will be used to support SSDD’s world-class facilities and enhance and maintain its current suite of missile element modeling, digital simulation, Hardware-in-the-Loop (HWIL) and prototype development facilities.

“We are pleased to be part of the team that was proposed by Torch for this opportunity,” said Michael D. Johns, Vice President, Engineering Division, Southern Research Institute. “We are also thankful to the Army for their confidence in the team formed by Torch.”

About Torch Technologies

Torch Technologies is a 100-percent employee-owned small business with over 320 employees dedicated to quality technical services, competitive costs, and ethical business practices headquartered in Huntsville, Ala., with employee-owners located in Colorado Springs, Colorado; Dahlgren, Virginia; Eglin AFB, Florida; Pacific Missile Range Facility, Hawaii; Reagan Test Site, Kwajalein; Washington, D.C.; and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.

About Southern Research Institute

Southern Research Institute is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) scientific research organization founded in 1941 that conducts advanced engineering research in materials, systems development, environment and energy research, and preclinical drug discovery and development. Approximately 500 scientific and engineering team members support clients and partners in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, defense, aerospace, environmental and energy industries. Southern Research is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., with additional laboratories and offices in Huntsville and Wilsonville, Ala., Frederick, Md., Durham, NC, and Cartersville, Ga.

Presentation “DNA Damage Response and Tumor Metastasis” to be Presented April 7, 2014 at ESTRO 33, the Premier European Event in Radiation Oncology

Birmingham, Ala. – Southern Research Institute today announced that the Institute’s translational radiation oncology research program in the Drug Discovery Division has been invited to present at a symposium during the European Society of Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) 33rd annual meeting being held in Vienna, Austria, April 4 – 8, 2014. Bo Xu, M.D., Ph.D., Chair, Oncology Research Department, Southern Research Institute, will speak at the conference, which attracts leading scientists from around the world, on April 7, in a clinical science symposium entitled: “DNA Damage Response and Tumor Metastasis”.

“We are proud to participate in the ESTRO 33 meeting, and pleased to have this important research recognized internationally at such a prestigious event,” said Mark J. Suto, Ph.D., Vice President, Drug Discovery Division, Southern Research Institute. The translational radiation oncology program led by Dr. Xu aims to understand molecular mechanisms of the DNA damage response and to develop molecularly targeted drugs to enhance the effectiveness of radiation therapy, a major treatment modality that almost two-third of cancer patients will need during the process of treatment. The molecular radiobiology laboratory is a part of the Cancer Research Program at Southern Research which has a long and successful history of oncology drug discovery.

To access information about the presentation and the ESTRO 33 meeting, go to the ESTRO 33 website: http://www.estro.org/congresses-meetings/items/estro-33.

About Southern Research Institute

Southern Research Institute is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) scientific research organization founded in 1941 that conducts preclinical drug discovery and development, advanced engineering research in materials, systems development, and environment and energy research. Approximately 500 scientific and engineering team members support clients and partners in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, defense, aerospace, environmental and energy industries. Southern Research is headquartered in Birmingham, AL, with additional laboratories and offices in Wilsonville and Huntsville, AL, Frederick, MD, Durham, NC, Houston, TX, and Cartersville, GA. For more information visit: http://southernresearch.org.

Booth #1525, South Hall, Von Braun Center, Huntsville, Alabama

Birmingham, AL – Southern Research Institute announced today that representatives of the Engineering Division will be exhibiting at the 2014 Association of the United States Army’s Institute of Land Warfare (AUSA) Winter Symposium, to be held February 19-21, 2014 at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

AUSA Winter Symposium attendees can learn more about Southern Research Institute Engineering Division’s advances in aerospace engineering, composite structures development and design, fabrication, integration, and field support for electro-mechanical systems for ISR, test, and tracking by visiting the Institute’s booth, #1525 in the south hall of the Von Braun Center during the Symposium.

About the 2014 AUSA Winter Symposium

The Association of the United States Army’s Institute of Land Warfare (AUSA) Winter Symposium and Exposition is a professional development forum for members of industry and the military community. The event includes featured presentations from the United States Army Materiel Command, the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command, and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics and Technology). For more information visit: http://ausameetings.org/winter.

About Southern Research Institute’s Aerospace Solutions

Southern Research Institute’s Engineering Division provides research and development in the areas of aerospace engineering, thermal and structural behaviors of advanced composite materials, composite structures development and production, computational sciences and data processing as well as design, fabrication, integration, and field support for electro-mechanical systems for ISR, test, and tracking. The Engineering Division’s labs include resources for extreme environment & structural testing and fabrication for quick reaction capabilities (QRC) and low rate initial production (LRIP) efforts.

About Southern Research Institute

Southern Research Institute is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) scientific research organization founded in 1941 that conducts preclinical drug discovery and development, advanced engineering research in materials, systems development, and environment and energy research. Approximately 500 scientific and engineering team members support clients and partners in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, defense, aerospace, environmental and energy industries. Southern Research is headquartered in Birmingham, AL, with additional laboratories and offices in Wilsonville and Huntsville, AL, Frederick, MD, Durham, NC, Houston, TX, and Cartersville, GA. For more information visit: https://southernresearch.org.

Oxidizer technology generates clean power from low quality or waste fuels

BIRMINGHAM, AL and DURHAM, NC – Southern Research Institute and Ener-Core, Inc. (OTCBB: ENCR) today announced that they have completed a field demonstration and performance verification of the Ener-Core FP250 PowerStation under the U.S. Dept. of Defense’s Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP.)

“Thermal oxidizers are commonly used for air pollution control, but they don’t convert the waste gases into power” said Alain Castro, Ener-Core chief executive officer. “This demonstration verifies that Ener-Core has successfully adapted oxidizer technology to generate clean power from low quality or waste fuels, while at the same time destroying the contaminants in the waste fuels.” The FP250 employs a specially designed gradual thermal oxidizer to power a modified conventional 250kW micro-turbine, resulting in an electric power generating solution capable of operating with low heating value fuels while producing extremely low NOx emissions.

The field demonstration, which assessed the technical and economic performance of the FP250 over a nominal one-year monitoring period, was conducted at the 1st Division Road landfill located at Ft. Benning, Ga. Southern Research acted as the independent third-party verifier. Specific demonstration objectives included verifying net power production, low emissions, greenhouse gas emissions reductions, return on investment, reliability, and operability.

The FP250 installed at Ft. Benning produced a net of 220 kilowatts of electric power using untreated, low-quality landfill gas that was approximately 25 percent methane. Nitrogen oxide emissions were less than five percent of the stringent California Air Resources Board 2013 emissions standards for distributed generation equipment.

“Economically, the FP250 was shown to be on par with competing distributed generation technologies with a levelized cost of energy of 9.8 cents per kilowatt hour,” said Tim Hansen, Southern Research’s Principal Investigator and Director, Advanced Energy and Transportation Technology. Ener-Core officials project that the levelized cost of energy will drop to below eight cents per kilowatt hour once manufacturing of the FP250 ramps up, and below 5.5 cents per kilowatt hour with the larger power-station sizes which are being rolled out.

The demonstration was funded by the U.S. Dept. of Defense’s Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP). The final report is published online at http://www.serdp.org/Program-Areas/Energy-and-Water/Energy/Distributed-Generation/EW-200823/EW-200823/(language)/eng-US

About Ener-Core, Inc.

Ener-Core, Inc. (“Ener-Core”) (OTCBB: ENCR) designs and manufactures innovative systems for producing continuous energy from a broad range of sources, including previously unusable ultra-low quality gas. The Ener-Core Gradual Oxidizer, our patented oxidation technology, enables the conversion of these gases into useful heat and power with the lowest known associated emissions. With the Ener-Core Gradual Oxidizer matched to gas turbines, Ener-Core offers systems with fuel flexibility and pollution control for power generation. The Gradual Oxidizer can also be customized for integration with larger existing power generation systems to offer unparalleled pollution control and achieve zero emissions.

About Southern Research Institute Pollution Control and Energy Solutions

Southern Research Institute is an international leader in the evaluation of emission reduction technologies, including air pollution measurement and control, as well as the assessment of advanced renewable and bioenergy technologies. Over the past 40 years, Southern Research has invented, designed, or developed a number of reference methods and devices now widely used in the industry, earning the Institute a reputation for excellence in particulate control research, emissions measurement, and the appraisal of advanced energy systems.

About Southern Research Institute

Southern Research Instituteis a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) scientific research organization founded in 1941 that conducts preclinical drug discovery and development, advanced engineering research in materials, systems development, and environment and energy research. Approximately 500 scientific and engineering team members support clients and partners in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, defense, aerospace, environmental and energy industries. Southern Research is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., with additional laboratories and offices in Wilsonville and Huntsville, Ala., Frederick, Md., Durham, NC, Houston, TX, and Cartersville, Ga.

Birmingham, Ala. — Southern Research Institute today announced that its president and CEO, Arthur J. Tipton, Ph.D., has been named a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). Dr. Tipton was one of 143 innovators nominated and elected by their peers for outstanding contributions to innovation in areas such as patents and licensing, innovative discovery and technology, significant impact on society, and support and enhancement of innovation.

Tipton and the other new Fellows will be inducted by Deputy U.S. Commissioner for Patents Andy Faile, from the United States Patent and Trademark Office, during the 3rd Annual Conference of the National Academy of Inventors, on March 7, 2014, in Alexandria, Va., at the headquarters of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

The 2013 class of NAI Fellows represents 94 universities and governmental and non-profit research institutes. Together, they hold more than 5,600 U.S. patents. Included are 26 presidents and senior leaders from research universities and non-profit research institutes, 69 members of the National Academies, five inductees of the National Inventors Hall of Fame, six recipients of the U.S. National Medal of Technology and Innovation, two recipients of the U.S. National Medal of Science and nine Nobel Laureates.

Tipton was named president and CEO of Southern Research Institute in 2013, and has 31 issued U.S. patents, 22 published U.S. patent applications, and numerous foreign equivalents, with more than 70 presentations and publications.

He has worked in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry for 25 years, participating in the growth aspects of three start-up companies. The company he founded in 2005 as a Southern Research Institute spin-out company—Brookwood Pharmaceuticals—was acquired by SurModics in August 2007 and then by Evonik in November 2011. At Evonik, Tipton served as senior vice president of the Birmingham Division and also led the company’s global drug delivery program.

From 1993 to 2004, Tipton held roles of increasing responsibility at Durect Corporation, including that of senior vice president of biodegradable systems, chief operating officer, vice president of its wholly-owned subsidiary Southern BioSystems, and president of Birmingham Polymers. He was with Atrix Laboratories (now part of QLT Inc.) from 1988 until 1993, as manager of Polymer Science and Senior Polymer Chemist.

Tipton serves on multiple boards including the Controlled Release Society (CRS), the Birmingham Venture Club, the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama Foundation, and the Biotech Association of Alabama (BioAlabama). He is a fellow of AIMBE and CRS and was awarded the CRS Distinguished Service Award in 2012. He serves as an external advisor to the Biomedical Engineering Department at University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), and volunteers as a mentor and judge in business plan competitions.

The NAI Fellows Selection Committee was comprised of 13 Members including NAI Charter Fellows, recipients of U.S. National Medals, National Inventors Hall of Fame inductees, members of the National Academies and senior officials from the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Association of University Technology Managers, and the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

About Southern Research Institute

Southern Research Institute is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) scientific research organization founded in 1941 that conducts preclinical drug discovery and development, advanced engineering research in materials, systems development, and environment and energy research. Approximately 500 scientific and engineering team members support clients and partners in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, defense, aerospace, environmental and energy industries. Southern Research is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., with additional laboratories and offices in Wilsonville and Huntsville, Ala., Frederick, Md., Durham, NC, Houston, TX, and Cartersville, Ga.

The National Academy of Inventors® is a 501(c)(3) non-profit member organization comprised of U.S. and international universities, and governmental and non-profit research institutions, with over 3,000 individual inventor members and Fellows spanning more than 200 institutions, and growing rapidly. It was founded in 2010 to recognize and encourage inventors with patents issued from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, enhance the visibility of academic technology and innovation, encourage the disclosure of intellectual property, educate and mentor innovative students, and translate the inventions of its members to benefit society. The NAI edits the multidisciplinary journal, Technology and Innovation – Proceedings of the National Academy of Inventors, published by Cognizant Communication Corporation (NY).

New director is a recognized international expert in power plant systems R&D

Birmingham, Ala. – Southern Research Institute today announced that it has hired Mark Berry, Ph.D.—a highly regarded R&D professional in the electric utilities industry—to direct its Environment and Energy research operations based in Alabama.

“We were looking for a recognized leader in environment and energy research; someone who could help us continue our growth trajectory as this business enters the next phases of growth and technology development,” said Michael D. Johns, vice president of Engineering. “Dr. Berry brings all of those qualifications and more. We are adding a spectacular talent and leader to our ranks and I look forward to seeing what Southern Research can accomplish going forward.”

“I was always intrigued by the unique mix of technical know-how and entrepreneurial spirit that has always existed at Southern Research,” said Dr. Berry. “I am excited about the current technical program, but more excited about all of the opportunities for growth and development into new areas that exist. I am truly honored that I have been given this opportunity.”

Berry is a recognized international expert in the control of vapor phase mercury and particulate matter via electrostatic precipitation, fabric filtration, selective catalytic reduction, and flue gas desulfurization equipment. He was previously Manager of Environmental Assessment for Southern Company’s Research and Environmental Affairs organization where he managed the company’s regulatory response to federal rulemaking activity and its environmental science research program.

Berry spent 15 years working in various capacities as an applied researcher to aid in the development of technologies to reduce emissions from power plants. Berry started his employment with Southern Company Services as a research analyst and eventually became Director of Research and Technology Management with responsibilities managing R&D efforts in environmental controls, advanced generation development, power delivery and end use.

Berry was also instrumental in creating the state-of-the-art Water Research Center (WRC) at Georgia Power Company’s Plant Bowen site in Cartersville, Ga. The WRC focuses on finding new ways to reduce, conserve and improve the quality of water returned to the environment from power plants. It is the first U.S. research facility of its kind, and is made possible through a partnership with Georgia Power, EPRI, Southern Research Institute and 14 other companies aligned with the power generation industry.

Berry holds four patents regarding technical approaches to control emissions from coal-fired power plants. During his career, Berry has made numerous presentations on various environmental related technical issues at local, regional, national and international meetings and conferences. He has held leadership positions with the Utility Air Regulatory Group (UARG) and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). He currently serves as President of the International Society of Electrostatic Precipitators (ISESP) and is an active member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

Berry, a native of Birmingham, is a registered professional engineer (Alabama) and has a doctorate degree in Interdisciplinary Engineering from The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). He also holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Alabama A&M University; bachelor’s and master’s of science degrees in Mechanical Engineering from UAB, and a master’s degree in Public and Private Management (MPPM) from Birmingham Southern College. Berry attained the commissioned rank of Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer.

About Southern Research Institute

Southern Research Institute is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) scientific research organization founded in 1941 that conducts preclinical drug discovery and development, advanced engineering research in materials, systems development, and environment and energy research. Approximately 500 scientific and engineering team members support clients and partners in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, defense, aerospace, environmental and energy industries. Southern Research is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., with additional laboratories and offices in Wilsonville and Huntsville, Ala., Frederick, Md., Durham, NC, Houston, TX, and Cartersville, Ga.

PNP Therapeutics, Inc. — a company based on a gene-therapy technology developed by scientists at Southern Research Institute and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) — has found an approach that has abolished otherwise unmanageable human cancers in preclinical rodent studies.

PNP confirmed that it has completed the first three cohorts of its Phase I clinical trial and is now recruiting for the fourth cohort. The company is looking ahead to Phase II trials and seeking an appropriate partner in the pharmaceutical industry.

“We are pleased with the progress made by the product thus far,” said William B. Parker, Ph.D., senior research fellow at Southern Research Institute. He is also one of the discoverers of the company’s proprietary technology. “Many common cancers, such as head and neck cancers, become untreatable despite the best medical intervention and the highest standard of care. There are compounds that can be used to treat these tumors, but the drugs are typically much too toxic. Our technology spares the patient from unnecessary exposure to chemotherapy, and can be used safely because the active agents are confined within a tumor mass.”

In Phase I clinical trials, patient safety and efficacy are evaluated. In PNP’s Phase I trial, an adenoviral vector is used to deliver E. coli PNP to head and neck tumors followed by intravenous administration of the prodrug fludarabine. The therapy was well-tolerated in the first nine patients, and doctors have detected efficacy.

“The therapy was well-tolerated, and all patients completed therapy with no major toxicities associated with the treatment,” said Dr. Eben Rosenthal, John S. Odess Professor of Surgery and director of Otolaryngology at UAB, and principal investigator for the clinical trial. “The most common event related to treatment was pain, itching or redness associated with the injection site and flu-like symptoms in the days immediately following viral injection. Importantly, in our most recent patients, the therapy has resulted in one complete response and two partial responses.”

The technology — based on the notion that solid tumors can be programmed to generate their own very potent chemotherapy — was discovered by Parker and Eric Sorscher, M.D., professor of Medicine of Hematology/Oncology at UAB. Selectivity of the therapeutic approach is achieved by producing an enzyme called E. coli purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) directly within tumor cells and using the enzyme to generate novel chemotherapy in the tumor mass itself. The resulting compound works by a unique mechanism of action unlike any drug currently used in the treatment of cancer, and it destroys replicating and nonreplicating malignant cells while minimizing damage to surrounding, healthy cells.

Over the course of its development, PNP has secured grants from the National Institutes of Health of approximately $10 million to support preclinical research at Southern Research Institute and UAB. In September 2013, UAB and Southern Research received notice of allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office of a significant new patent exclusively licensed to PNP that protects the product currently being tested in patients.

PNP’s funding has been provided by Birmingham Technology Fund (managed by Greer Capital Advisors) and Phase I Holdings LLC (managed by John C. Lankford, Ph.D.), with co-investments by Southern Research Institute, UAB-affiliated foundations and local private-equity investors.

Charles K. Porter, who serves on both the Southern Research Institute and the UAB Research Foundation boards of directors, describes the investments by Southern Research and UAB affiliates as an indication of confidence.

“Southern Research Institute is well-known in the industry for having discovered a significant number of FDA-approved anti-cancer drugs, so it is only natural they would take an important leadership role in the advancement of this technology,” Porter said. “Southern Research also had notable success with the creation, spin-out and ultimately the sale of Brookwood Pharmaceuticals. Not only is their science knowledge outstanding, but their business acumen is equally impressive.”

PNP is a board-managed company under the direction of Chairman John C. Lankford, Ph.D., President James F. Fuqua, William B. Parker, Ph.D., Lawrence W. Greer Sr., DDS, J. Claude Bennett, M.D., and Charles K. Porter. For further information about PNP’s clinical trials, please visit clinicaltrials.gov or call Lisa Clemons, R.N., at 205-934-9713.

About PNP Therapeutics

PNP Therapeutics®, Inc., is an early-stage, biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development of a platform technology and proprietary products for the treatment of cancer. The technology is currently in Phase I clinical trials. PNP is the exclusive licensee of a comprehensive collection of patents that broadly and specifically cover the Company’s technology. These patents are owned jointly by the UAB Research Foundation and Southern Research Institute.

This press news release contains statements regarding performance or achievements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause PNP’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied. These statements reflect our current views and are based on assumptions, and are subject to risks and uncertainties. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these statements. Some of the factors that could affect the statements contained herein include: that PNP may not be able to enroll the required number of subjects in its Phase I clinical trial; that PNP or its sub-licensees may not be able to enroll the required number of subjects in planned future clinical trials, or that PNP may not reach any agreement with prospective sub-licensees or receive FDA approvals for further clinical trials.