Merrimack Pharmaceuticals To Present Preliminary Clinical Data For Novel Therapies Targeting Molecular Pathways In Advanced Cancers

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: MACK) today announced that research evaluating two novel compounds for advanced cancers, including breast, ovarian, gastric and bladder, will be presented at the ESMO 2012 Congress (European Society for Medical Oncology ), Sept. 28 – Oct. 2 in Vienna, Austria. The medicines are some of the first therapies developed using Merrimack's proprietary scientific approach – Network Biology – focusing not on gene expression but on underlying cancer signals that trigger tumor growth.

"At Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, we believe the key to finding new treatment options for cancer is to start closer to the source of the problem – with signals in the cancer cell that turn specific processes on and off, triggering tumor growth and drug resistance," said Robert J. Mulroy, President and Chief Executive Officer, Merrimack Pharmaceuticals. "By charting and modeling these molecular pathways and signals, we can identify the most sensitive points from which to attack the cancer and then develop medicines and companion diagnostics to disrupt or slow tumor growth."

Therapy and Poster Overview:

• MM-121 is a fully human monoclonal antibody that binds to ErbB3, a protein central to the development of drug resistance and tumor growth in numerous cancers, including ovarian, breast and lung tumors. It is designed to block the signal that allows ErbB3 to bind with other proteins and trigger cell growth and drug resistance.
  • A Phase 1 Study of the Anti-ErbB3 Antibody MM-121 in Combination with Weekly Paclitaxel in Patients with Advanced Gynecological and Breast Cancers (Abstract #: 974PD)
    • Presentation: Gynecological Cancers, Sunday, Sept. 30, 2012, 1:00PM – 2:00PM CET, Hall G
• MM-111 is a bispecific antibody designed to target cancer cells that are characterized by overexpression of the ErbB2 (HER2) cell receptor. MM-111 is designed to uniquely address the tumor growth and survival signaling promoted by the ErbB2, ErbB3 and heregulin signaling complex.
  • A Phase 1 Study of MM-111; a Bispecific HER2/HER3 Antibody Fusion Protein, Combined with Multiple Treatment Regimens in Patients with Advanced HER2 Positive Solid Tumors (Abstract #: 496P)
    • Poster Session: Poster Presentation III, Monday, Oct. 1, 2012, 1:00PM – 2:00PM CET, Hall XL

About Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Merrimack Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company discovering, developing and preparing to commercialize innovative medicines paired with companion diagnostics for the treatment of serious diseases, with an initial focus on cancer. Merrimack applies Network Biology, its proprietary systems biology-based approach to biomedical research, throughout the research and development process. Merrimack currently has five targeted therapeutic oncology candidates in clinical development.

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