GlycoMimetics, Inc. (GMI) today announced that the company and its collaborators highlighted its novel glycomimetic drug candidate, E-selectin antagonist GMI-1271, during an oral presentation and poster session at the 2013 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition. GMI-1271 is currently in preclinical studies for blood cancers and other cancers that are associated with elevated risk of metastasis and thrombosis. GMI anticipates filing an investigational new drug application for GMI-1271 for treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in the first quarter of 2014.

Both abstracts were featured on December 8 as part of the ASH annual meeting, which occurred at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. Researchers shared data from a preclinical study of GMI-1271 via an oral presentation, entitled “Adhesion of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Blasts to E-Selectin in the Vascular Niche Enhances Their Survival By Mechanisms Such as Wnt Activation.” Data from the study supports the critical role of E-selectin as a target and suggests that GMI-1271 should be explored, in combination with chemotherapy, as a treatment for AML. The poster presentation for GMI-1271, entitled “Administration of E-Selectin Antagonist GMI-1271 Improves Survival After High-Dose Chemotherapy By Alleviating Mucositis and Accelerating Neutrophil Recovery,” highlighted the use of GMI-1271 in combination with chemotherapy. Results from this study demonstrated that GMI-1271 represents a potential effective means to protect patients from some chemotherapy-induced side effects and potentially improve completion rates of toxic chemotherapy or radiotherapy regimes, reducing therapy-related morbidity and mortality.

“The ASH meeting offered an important opportunity for GlycoMimetics to share preclinical results of GMI-1271 as a potential treatment of AML and for alleviating chemotherapy-induced mucositis and neutropenia,” said John Magnani, Ph.D., GlycoMimetics Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer. “These data, along with data from other programs presented at ASH, suggest that E-selectin may be an important target for developing drugs for the treatment of blood-related malignancies.”

The two GMI-1271 abstracts, as well as three abstracts for rivipansel sodium (GMI-1070), are available online at: https://ash.confex.com/ash/2013/webprogram/start.html

About GlycoMimetics, Inc.

GlycoMimetics is a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of novel glycomimetic drugs to address unmet medical needs resulting from diseases in which carbohydrate biology plays a key role. Glycomimetics are molecules that mimic the structure of carbohydrates involved in important biological processes. Using its expertise in carbohydrate chemistry and knowledge of carbohydrate biology, GlycoMimetics is developing a pipeline of glycomimetic drug candidates that inhibit disease-related functions of carbohydrates, such as the roles they play in inflammation, cancer and infection.

This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding GlycoMimetics’ planned activities with respect to the clinical development of GMI-1271. Actual results may differ materially from those in these forward-looking statements. For a further description of the risks associated with these statements, as well as other risks facing GlycoMimetics, please see the risk factors described in the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 that was originally filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on October 4, 2013, and the amendments thereto, including those factors discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” in such filings. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release, and GlycoMimetics undertakes no obligation to update or revise these statements, except as may be required by law.