SAN DIEGO, March 07, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cidara Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: CDTX), a biotechnology company developing long-acting therapeutics designed to help improve the standard of care for patients facing serious diseases, presented preclinical data on a CD73-targeting drug-Fc conjugate (DFC) candidate, CBO-212, from the Company’s Cloudbreak^® platform, at the ESMO Targeted Anticancer Therapies Congress (ESMO TAT) in Paris, March 6-8, 2023.

“The preclinical data presented at ESMO TAT represent important progress for Cidara in oncology, as these nonclinical results are the first supporting the anti-tumor potential of a Cloudbreak product candidate,” said Jeffrey Stein, Ph.D. president and chief executive officer of Cidara. “We are initially focused on CD73 due to its documented contribution to immune evasion through the production of immune-suppressive adenosine in the tumor microenvironment.   We believe that a CD73-targeted DFC, which combines positive attributes of small molecule and monoclonal antibody inhibitors, has the potential to ultimately provide a meaningful solution for patients.”

The presented preclinical studies evaluated the functional activity, internalization and inhibition of CD73 by CBO-212 in both cell-free and cell-based assays. Key highlights include:

• CBO-212 inhibited cell-anchored and soluble forms of CD73, both of which can contribute to immune-suppressive adenosine production in the tumor microenvironment, whereas positive control CD73 inhibitor monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) currently in clinical development acted primarily on cell-anchored CD73.
• CBO-212 restored activation of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells suppressed with adenosine monophosphate to a greater extent than the mAb comparators, and similar to the small molecule inhibitors tested.
• Unlike tested small molecule inhibitors currently in development, the multivalent presentation of CD73 inhibitors on CBO-212 induced receptor internalization and subsequent reduction of CD73 receptors expressed on a human breast cancer cell line.
• These attributes, coupled with the long half-life mediated by the DFC Fc domain, led to significant tumor reduction in a mouse syngeneic tumor model after a single dose of CBO-212.

Cidara is currently advancing its lead CD73-targeting product candidate, CD421, which is an enhanced version of CBO-212 that confers reduced immunogenic properties.

About Cloudbreak^® DFCs

Cidara is developing a new generation of immunotherapeutic agents from its Cloudbreak platform that couple targeted small molecule and peptide drugs to a human antibody fragment (Fc). These highly potent, long-acting drug-Fc conjugates (DFCs) are designed to inhibit specific disease targets while simultaneously engaging the immune system. In addition to multiple oncology programs, Cidara is advancing its antiviral DFC CD388 through Phase 1 and Phase 2a clinical trials in partnership with Janssen for the universal prevention and treatment of influenza. Cidara is also advancing DFC programs to target other life-threatening viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2.

About Cidara Therapeutics

Cidara is developing long-acting therapeutics designed to improve the standard of care for patients facing serious diseases. The Company’s portfolio is comprised of new approaches aimed at transforming existing treatment and prevention paradigms, first with its lead Phase 3 antifungal candidate, rezafungin, in addition to drug-Fc conjugates (DFCs) targeting viral and oncological diseases from Cidara’s proprietary Cloudbreak^® platform. Cidara is headquartered in San Diego, California. For more information, please visit www.cidara.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. “Forward-looking statements” describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as “anticipates,” “expect,” “may,” “plan” or “will”. Forward-looking statements in this release include, but are not limited to, statements related to whether the nonclincial data generated for CBO-212 will be predictive of activity, safety or efficacy of any CD73-targeted DFC in patients, and whether Cidara will be able to formulate a CD73-targeted DFC into a clinically acceptable form. Such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, such as delays in action by regulatory authorities due to limitations on inspections and other COVID-19-related effects, and impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic or other obstacles on the enrollment of patients or other aspects of rezafungin development. These and other risks are identified under the caption “Risk Factors” in Cidara’s most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and other filings subsequently made with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made and are based on management’s assumptions and estimates as of such date. Cidara does not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of the receipt of new information, the occurrence of future events or otherwise.

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