GlycoMimetics, Inc. (GMI), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a new class of glycobiology-based therapies for a broad range of indications, today announced that the company and its collaborators delivered an oral presentation and two posters at the 2012 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition. The oral presentation, which was given on December 9 at the meeting’s venue at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, highlighted data from GMI’s lead program GMI-1070, which is now partnered with Pfizer. The posters highlighted data from GMI’s E-selectin antagonist program, which the company is developing to treat acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and other cancers.

Researchers shared data from a pilot study of GMI-1070, now in Phase 2 clinical trials, via the oral presentation, which was entitled, “Pan-selectin Antagonist GMI-1070 Affects Biomarkers of Adhesion, Activation and the Coagulation Cascade in Sickle Cell Patients at Steady State.” Data from the study demonstrated that GMI-1070 affects a number of biomarkers important in sickle cell disease.

“It is encouraging to see that GMI-1070, our lead clinical program, had a statistically significant impact on the biomarkers associated with cell adhesion, activation and coagulation, all of which are believed to be important in vaso-occlusive crisis, a painful condition experienced by individuals who have sickle cell disease,” said Helen Thackray, M.D., Vice President of Clinical Development and Chief Medical Officer of GlycoMimetics.

Two posters highlighting progress with GMI-1271, one of GlycoMimetics’ pipeline programs being developed to treat hematologic malignancies, were also presented at the ASH meeting. One poster was entitled “A Novel Small Molecule E-Selectin Inhibitor GMI-1271 Blocks Adhesion of AML Blasts to E-Selectin and Mobilizes Blood Cells in Nodscid IL2Rgc-/- Mice Engrafted with Human AML.” A second was entitled “Novel E-Selectin Antagonist GMI-1271 Decreases Venous Thrombosis without Increased Bleeding Potential in a Mouse Model.”

“We are very pleased that data from our pilot study of GMI-1070 was selected for oral presentation at the ASH meeting. These data provide additional support for testing the drug candidate in sickle cell crisis, and our Phase 2 trial with GMI-1070 is near completion,” said Rachel King, Chief Executive Officer, GlycoMimetics. “In addition, we are pleased to present posters showing continued progress with our pipeline programs. The preclinical results with our other compound, GMI-1271, in AML and treatment of thrombosis, suggest that this drug candidate may have a novel mechanism of action for treatment of hematologic malignancies.”

The abstracts are available online at: http://www.hematology.org/Meetings/Annual-Meeting/Abstracts/5810.aspx

About GlycoMimetics, Inc.

GlycoMimetics is a privately held biotechnology company that capitalizes on advances in the field of glycobiology to treat inflammation, cancer, and infectious diseases. The company uses rational design of small molecule drugs that mimic the functions of bioactive carbohydrates to develop new drug candidates. For additional information, please visit the company's web site: http://www.glycomimetics.com.