Sunesis Pharmaceuticals Announces Support of First-Ever Acute Myeloid Leukemia Awareness Month in June
May 25 2016 - 9:00AM
Sunesis Provides Educational Grant to Support
Campaign Sponsor CancerCare
Sunesis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:SNSS) today announced its
support for the first-ever Acute Myeloid Leukemia Awareness Month
to be held in June. The goal of the campaign, which is being
sponsored by CancerCare, is to put a spotlight on the disease, a
rare and difficult-to-treat blood cancer that typically affects
older adults.
Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is a cancer of the
blood and bone marrow and can worsen quickly if left
untreated. According to the National Institutes of Health, it
is estimated that there will be 19,950 new cases of acute myeloid
leukemia in 2016 and an estimated 10,430 people will die from the
disease. AML is more common in older adults, who are also the
most difficult to treat, with 67 as the median age of diagnosis.
While progress in treating leukemia has been made, there has been
only one AML treatment approved by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration in the past 30 years (and that drug was subsequently
withdrawn from the market).
Patricia J. Goldsmith, CEO of CancerCare, said,
“AML Awareness Month will feature in-depth information about AML on
the organization’s website, including a video that features NBA
broadcaster Craig Sager who is battling the disease, as well as his
son, Craig, Jr., who donated his bone marrow twice in an effort to
save his father. The website will also offer people living with AML
and their caregivers easy-to-use, informative resources to
understand their condition. We thank Sunesis Pharmaceuticals
for their unrestricted educational grant which has helped to
support the development of these resources.”
“We are delighted to be supporting CancerCare’s
efforts to raise awareness of acute myeloid leukemia,” said Daniel
Swisher, Chief Executive Officer of Sunesis. “Because it is a
rare disease with an older patient population, there has been
little attention focused on AML. As a company that is
determined to deliver a new treatment option for this disease, we
want to support the AML community by helping to provide more
education and information for patients and caregivers.”
Goldsmith added, “The AML community’s voice has
not always been heard because the disease itself is so rare and the
mortality rate is so high. We hope to put a spotlight on AML
in June and help focus attention on the urgent need these patients
and their families have for hope.”
Patients and caregivers can find educational
resources on AML online at www.cancercare.org; an unrestricted
educational grant from Sunesis has helped to support the
development of the informational resources on AML which also
includes a patient and caregiver workshop webinar to be held on
June 17.
About
CancerCare®
Founded in 1944, CancerCare is the leading
national organization providing free, professional support services
and information to help people manage the emotional, practical and
financial challenges of cancer. Our comprehensive services include
counseling and support groups over the phone, online and in-person,
educational workshops, publications and financial and co-payment
assistance. All CancerCare services are provided by oncology social
workers and world-leading cancer experts. Headquartered in New
York, NY, CancerCare maintains three additional locations in
Norwalk, CT, Ridgewood, NJ and Syosset, NY.
To learn more, visit www.cancercare.org or call
800-813-HOPE (4673).
About Sunesis
Pharmaceuticals
Sunesis is a biopharmaceutical company focused
on the development and commercialization of new oncology
therapeutics for the potential treatment of solid and hematologic
cancers. Sunesis has built a highly experienced cancer drug
development organization committed to improving the lives of people
with cancer and is currently pursuing regulatory approval in Europe
for its lead product candidate, vosaroxin, for the treatment of
relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia in patients aged 60
and older. In addition, the company is advancing its
kinase-inhibitor pipeline of novel targeted therapies into the
clinic.
For additional information on Sunesis, please
visit http://www.sunesis.com.
SUNESIS and the logos are trademarks
of Sunesis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
This press release contains forward-looking statements,
including statements related to Sunesis' corporate objectives,
including the anticipated progress and potential approval of
vosaroxin by the EMA, potential ex-US partnership, and the expected
progress in its kinase inhibitor pipeline. Words such as
“prospects,” “look forward,” "potential," "will" and similar
expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements.
These forward-looking statements are based upon Sunesis' current
expectations. Forward-looking statements involve risks and
uncertainties. Sunesis' actual results and the timing of events
could differ materially from those anticipated in such
forward-looking statements as a result of these risks and
uncertainties, which include, without limitation, the risk that
Sunesis may not be able to receive regulatory approval of vosaroxin
in the U.S. or Europe, that Sunesis' development activities for
vosaroxin could be otherwise halted or significantly delayed for
various reasons, the risk that Sunesis' clinical studies for
vosaroxin or other product candidates, including its pipeline of
kinase inhibitors, may not demonstrate safety or efficacy or lead
to regulatory approval, the risk that data to date and trends may
not be predictive of future data or results, risks related to the
conduct of Sunesis' clinical trials, risks related to Sunesis' need
for substantial additional funding to complete the development and
commercialization of vosaroxin and other product candidates, and
risks related to Sunesis' ability to raise the capital that it
believes to be accessible and is required to fully finance the
development and commercialization of vosaroxin and other product
candidates. These and other risk factors are discussed under "Risk
Factors" and elsewhere in Sunesis' Annual Report on Form 10-K for
the year ended December 31, 2015 and Sunesis' other filings with
the Securities and Exchange Commission. Sunesis expressly
disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any
updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained
herein to reflect any change in Sunesis' expectations with regard
thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on
which any such statements are based.
Investor and Media Inquiries:
David Pitts
Argot Partners
212-600-1902
Eric Bjerkholt
Sunesis Pharmaceuticals Inc.
650-266-3717
Sunesis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:SNSS)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jul 2024 to Aug 2024
Sunesis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:SNSS)
Historical Stock Chart
From Aug 2023 to Aug 2024